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Soka City

English Website > 01.Latest News > City Newspaper 2020 > City Newspaper November 5, 2020 > Damage of Bank-transfer Fraud on the Decrease

Damage of Bank-transfer Fraud on the Decrease

Update : 2021-12-2

With the Heightened Awareness of Citizens for Crime Prevention

Situation of Damage by Bank-transfer Fraud in Soka City
(January 2017 ~ August 2020, surveyed by the Saitama Prefectural Police)

  2017 2018 2019 2020
(as of August 31)
Number of damage cases 76 95 50 23
Total amount of damage
(million yen)
About 214 About 120 About 50 About 26

Achievements by Collaboration among Citizens, the Police and the City

The damage of bank-transfer fraud was in a serious situation in Soka City, and the number of damage cases in 2018 was the worst in Saitama Prefecture.
As a result of the collaboration among citizens, the community, the police and the city in various activities to prevent damage, the number of cases and the amount of damage decreased considerably.

However, the damage still continues to occur and it may begin to increase at any moment.
It is dangerous to think that you are all right.
Continue to be on alert and be highly conscious of crime prevention to eliminate damage of bank-transfer fraud.

Door-to-door Visits by Crime Prevention Volunteers and the Policemen of the Soka Police

On Wednesdays, crime prevention volunteers in the community and the policemen of the Soka Police make door-to-door visits to give out flyers to raise awareness (to about 2,300 people in total from May 2019 to the end of September 2020).

Crime Prevention Volunteers and the Policemen image

Close Teamwork to Promptly Respond to Suspicious Phone Calls

If a phone call in Soka City smells of bank-transfer fraud, the information is shared by the city, the Soka Police and advisors of Soka City on the round so as to go on patrol in the area of the phone call and to ring the alarm in the disaster prevention and administrative radio system.

Advisor of Soka City on the round image

Advisor of Soka City on the round

Damage in Soka City Still Serious

Don't Relax Your Guard Yet!

Number of damage cases

the worst 5th in Saitama Prefecture (23 cases)

Total amount of damage

About 26 million yen
(the provisional total from January to August 2020)

More than 80% of the damage occurred on calls on landlines.

Answering Machine Strategy to Fight off Swindlers

I'm surprised to find a lot of unfamiliar calls in my answering machine. image

I'm surprised to find a lot of unfamiliar calls in my answering machine.

Set Your Telephone to the Automatic Answering Function

Criminals dislike their voice to be recorded and hang up, so the risk of suffering from the damage of bank-transfer fraud will decrease.

It is not breach of manners not to answer the phone immediately.

  • Tell your friends and family living separately that you have set your phone to the automatic answering function.
  • The website of Saitama Prefecture gives some examples of the answering machine messages to cope with bank-transfer fraud. Feel free to use them.

The website of Saitama Prefecture (Link to External Site)

Some More Effective Ways

Set Your Phone to Reject Anonymous Calls

  • Many of the calls from criminals do not announce phone numbers.

Set Your Phone to Display the Phone Number

  • See the phone number of the caller, and don't answer unfamiliar calls.

If you feel a little uneasiness, dial a number below

Soka Police

Tel.(048) 943-0110

Consulting service of the Police

Tel.#9110

Inquiry

Kurashi Anzen-ka
Tel.(048) 922-3607
FAX(048) 922-1030