How to Protect Yourself from Crime: A message from the Mie Prefectural Police

There are three things everyone should remember in order to keep themselves safe from crime.

 

（１）Taking measures to prevent home invasion and theft

Home invasion and theft are on the rise in the prefecture, and as of November, there have been 770 cases of home invasion and theft this year. To protect yourself from this type of crime, remember to do the following:

○　Lock the door when you leave the house

○　Double lock windows, install sensor lights, and use other anti-theft tools

○　Inform neighbors when you leave the house.

○ Report any suspicious individuals to the closest police station or police box (koban)

 

（２）Avoiding car theft

Many of you may occasionally see cars left with engines running and doors unlocked in parking lots and other places. This is extremely unsafe and may lead to car theft. Even if you only plan to leave your car for a short period of time, be sure to do the following.

○　Lock your car doors and take the key with you

○　Take your bag and valuables with you

○　Use anti-theft tools

If you are leaving your car somewhere for an extended period of time, leave it in a well-lit, highly visible area.

 

 

（３）Avoid phone scams

In the past, there have been incidents in Mie involving  reimbursement scams and financial trading scams.

『Reimbursement Scams』

A typical reimbursement scam typically proceeds like this:

○The victim receives a phone call from someone claiming to be a city official, etc.

○The victim is told that they overpaid a medical bill or another official transaction, and that they are to be reimbursed.

○The victim is told that the deadline to claim the reimbursement has passed, but if necessary procedures are completed today, they can collect the reimbursement.

○The victim is told to go to a nearby supermarket or convenience store. When the victim has access to an ATM, the caller leads the victim through the process of sending money to the caller’s account.

 

Remember, reimbursements from medical and government institutions cannot be collected via ATM.

『Financial trading scams』

Below is an example of a financial trading scam.

○A pamphlet arrives in the mail and the victim receives a call.

○The victim is told that the caller’s company will soon be listed on the Japanese stock exchange. The victim is told that if they buy corporate bonds now, the caller will buy those bonds back later at a higher price.

○The victim is asked to buy stocks/corporate bonds in their name. They are told that the caller will buy the bonds back at2-3 times the current purchase price.

○The caller often emphasizes that there is no risk to the transaction.

○The victim is then told to look at the pamphlet they received in the mail.

○Later, the victim receives calls from other scammers claiming to be offices of the same company, encouraging them to profit from buying the fake company’s bonds.

If you get a phone call like this, hang up and, after collecting your thoughts, consult with your family and the police.