Originally Posted by MomoPufflet

Do modern Japanese cards not have a magnetic stripe? If so I guess that could explain how this story happened-- otherwise the situation just doesn't make sense as to how they'd skip to arresting him without trying the card.

Well, if you go to the original source it says this:

日本に置けるクレジットカードの立ち位置とアメリカのクレジットカードの立ち位置は保険証と パスポート位違うんだってさ。だから変だと思ったらすぐ警察呼べるし

Says something about differences between Japanese and American cardinfo? Maybe somebody who knows Japanese could translate?