How to fake friends and influence people

A Japanese company is offering fake friends and colleagues for hire to people wanting to boost their popularity. Photo / Supplied

A Japanese firm promises to make the world a little less lonely for those with money to spend: fake friends, relatives and work colleagues for hire.

People wanting to impress their new dates, the unemployed and those needing a companion for a corporate evening are turning to the Tokyo-based Office Agents to boost their popularity.

For the equivalent of around $300, the company will send fake guests to weddings, while an extra $150 will buy a speech, said manager Hiroshi Mizutani.

With the recession biting, those recently sacked can buy a pretend boss to maintain an air of respectability, he added.

"We'll attend the wedding as your friend instead of your friend," Mr Mizutani told the Daily Telegraph of London.

"Suddenly, a guest might not be able to make it. Or maybe you are concerned about the gap in the number of guests you have compared to your partner. Or, there are many temp workers these days and they may be uncomfortable inviting the boss."

Mr Mizutani said that a groom had secretly arranged for 30 hired friends and family members as it was his second marriage and he did not want the same guests.

For anyone wanting to become a fake friend, Mr Mizutani said they must be "cheery and clean and look like they have regular jobs".