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

What a stupid waste of manpower. Unbelievable.

WilliB

I'd rather have them doing this than sitting on their butts in a koban - or worse, checking bicycle registrations.

Nothing like a bit of visual presence to scare off the crooks. Then again, I think most people would be happier if the cops got serious about handling this issue and started to enforce laws rather than just window dressing for the mass media.

robber hint: get dressed as a policeman

If money is involved, Japan gets serious.

I thought ATM's had camera's in them???

timorborder:

" Nothing like a bit of visual presence to scare off the crooks. "

And why would this be scaring off the crooks, who are free to withdraw their swindled remittances from any ATM? It would make more sense force the Banks to check IDs when people open accounts. But symbolism counts more than meaningful action, apparently.

" and to question anyone in the vicinity of an ATM who looks suspicious. "

and I am really wondering how these Clouseaus define "suspicious".

I disagree, Elderly folks do certainly get scammed out of their life savings sometimes from punks, so more education and information to pass out will help. The banks really need to do something about it too.

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?'

Just go to a combini ATM, no police in there;)

what about us poor slobs out in the boondocks. do we get police presence at the atms too????

Stupid people are everywhere, I don't think policeman should be responsible for stupid people.

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!

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 ?

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.

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.

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.

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!

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....

If it's easy... ie. standing around or checking things, cops are all over it...

Now we are paying for bank security. What happened to BANKS providing this service. Sad how our tax dollars are being spent.

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.