Some time ago, a friend’s colleague lost his wallet very late at night on the way home and only realised he lost it after he arrived home.
Naturally, he panicked and wanted to make a police report the next day. However, on the following day before he could file a report for his lost item, he received a call from JR saying someone found his wallet and that it has been delivered to a station pretty far away from where he lives. Hearing that, he felt relieved and told the man on the other end of the phone that he will go collect it a couple of days later since it’s far.
A couple of days later, he headed to the station to retrieve his wallet. But to his surprise, the staff at the station said they do not have his wallet and neither did any of them make phone calls to him.
Turns out, someone found his wallet and contact info, and pretended to be the station staff so as to make him feel at ease and not cancel his credit cards, buying time to use them for his own benefit.
That is so brilliant yet creepy at the same time.
Next time, just cancel all your credit cards no matter what information you got about your lost items. Or at least, try to verify the identity or factuality of the claim that your lost wallet is in safe hands.
On a separate note, did you know that Japanese law stipulates that finders of lost-and-found items have the right to request owners of said items to reward them with a sum equivalent to 5-20% of the lost item as compensation for their effort in returning them?
My next freelance job: Bounty Hunter.
Whoa was the thief a Gaijin? 😛 hahaha
But jokes aside, i guess scammers / thiefs are everywhere, have to be careful and not let your guard down even in Japan!
Yes especially in crowded places, there can be pickpockets!
Anyway can’t be a gaijin unless the gaijin speaks perfect polite japanese language, haha.