Brazil: Incident of Theft (Pickpocketing)

Date and Time of Incident
- February 18 (Sunday)
Location of Incident
- On a long-distance bus traveling from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo
Incident Summary
- The victim, traveling on an early morning long-distance bus from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo, placed a shoulder bag containing valuables under the seat. Upon arriving in São Paulo in the evening and disembarking, the victim realized about 10 minutes later that the shoulder bag had been left on the bus. Despite immediately requesting the bus company to check the bus, the shoulder bag was already missing and was not found at the bus company’s counter.
Items Stolen
- Shoulder bag (contents: Japanese passport, credit cards, Japanese driver’s license, etc.)
Preventive Measures
- (1) Never take your eyes off your belongings.
- (2) Particularly valuable items should not be placed away from your body; keep them with you as much as possible.
- (3) Pickpocketing can occur anywhere during a momentary lapse in attention. Be cautious not to divert your attention from your belongings.
- (4) Maintaining vigilance and occasionally scanning your surroundings can be effective in reducing the likelihood of being targeted.