A police officer observes ATMs at a bank in Tokyo’s Edogawa Ward Wednesday.

Police stationed at ATMs in campaign to root out bank transfer fraud

Wednesday 01st October, 12:32 PM JST

TOKYO —

Police officers were posted at ATM machines nationwide Wednesday to mark the start of what the National Police Agency (NPA) has designated “bank transfer fraud elimination month.” Police are also calling on financial institutions and convenience stores to cooperate in heading off the persistent fraud.

There are an estimated 12,000 ATMs in the greater Tokyo area. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department intends to post officers at about 1,000 of them, with the remainder to be patrolled daily. The task will be to warn senior citizens, who are especially vulnerable, of what to be on guard against when transferring money, and to question anyone in the vicinity of an ATM who looks suspicious.

Wire reports

Latest 15 of 24 Total Comments Show All

BBLeo at 02:30 PM JST - 1st October

For quick cash please join 'ATM CLUB, it is better than Wall Street in New York. The question is: 'How long will cops be stationed at ATM's?'
Kameleon at 02:35 PM JST - 1st October

Just go to a combini ATM, no police in there;)
Osakadaz at 02:54 PM JST - 1st October

crikey.What a joke.How will they harass people on bikes now? A public TV ad campaign would be more beneficial in this mass-komi country.
outofmydepth at 03:56 PM JST - 1st October

what about us poor slobs out in the boondocks. do we get police presence at the atms too????
gogogo at 03:57 PM JST - 1st October

Stupid people are everywhere, I don't think policeman should be responsible for stupid people.
NuckinFutz at 04:01 PM JST - 1st October

So just HOW MANY cops is this little bit of publicity keeping busy? Woe be the foreigner who rides up to an ATM on a bike!
memyselfI at 04:10 PM JST - 1st October

That's nice more I.D. foreigner check and bicycle registration checks for me. It always happens once a year for me. Why do people need to carry large amounts of money with them. Does a person really need five hundred thousand yen in their wallet ?
memyselfI at 04:13 PM JST - 1st October

The task will be to warn senior citizens, who are especially vulnerable, of what to be on guard against when transferring money, and to question anyone in the vicinity of an ATM who looks suspicious. This means everybody who looks suspicious young and old Japanese people and especially foreigners. I get constant stares all the time.
gogogo at 05:49 PM JST - 1st October

memyselfI: you raise a good point, this will more than likely spread to the shakedown of the "suspicious" foreigner standing in line for the ATM.
some14some at 07:26 PM JST - 1st October

Just tell senior citizens that ATM stands for A Terror Machine, and i am sure they will never dare to...deploy police force where it is needed the most.
serindipity at 07:58 PM JST - 1st October

Wow! Yet another pointless time-waster by the J-cops. Imagine how many bicycle registrations he could be checking instead. Maybe he should ask everyone if they know who killed that little girl in Togane, but that would be police work, wouldn't it? The J-cops really 'P' me off!
Blue_Tiger at 08:59 PM JST - 1st October

Hmmmmm....

The J-P'lice will stand about ATMs to stop money fraud and laundering, but cannot take action when a woman complains of being stalked, then ends up dead.

Yessssssss, really gooooooooooood to see that the J-Police have their priorities straight....
gogogo at 01:35 AM JST - 2nd October

If it's easy... ie. standing around or checking things, cops are all over it...
noborito at 07:10 AM JST - 2nd October

Now we are paying for bank security. What happened to BANKS providing this service. Sad how our tax dollars are being spent.
blackbagger at 11:52 AM JST - 2nd October

I don't know if I'd even call this security. Any crook with half a brain will just move on to an ATM down the street to con someone while the cops are busy harassing foreigners.