This could be a plot of an anime about an evil genius, but sometimes, reality is better than art.

Taniguchi Yusuke, a store clerk in Tokyo, was arrested for allegedly stealing the credit card information of over 1,300 customers, using them for his online purchases.

And he did it using pure memory work, it seems.

Used photographic memory to steal credit card info

According to Soranews24, Taniguchi was able to retain all the credit card information of customers within the few moments it took to process their purchases.

This includes their 16-digit-number, name, expiry date, and security code.

Using an apparent eidetic memory, or commonly known as "photographic memory", the 34-year-old suspect was able to retain such information until he was able to jot it down later.

The police reportedly found a notebook containing the credit card details of more than 1,300 victims, according to ANN News.

Made money off credit card purchases

According to the police statement, Taniguchi had admitted to them that he would take the items he purchased online, and pawn them off for his living expenses, such as rent and food.

Some of the items that he bought online with the stolen card details included two shoulder bags, valued at 270,000 yen (about S$3,470) in total.

Busted after mailing items to his own address

Unfortunately for Taniguchi, his wits didn't bring him far enough, as he led the police straight to himself by mailing the stolen goods to his own address.

The shoulder bags which he illegally purchased were delivered straight to his apartment, and the police were able to track them easily back to him.

Goes to show that having a good memory doesn't always reflect one's intelligence.

Cover image via ANN News/Youtube, @ostshem/Unsplash