Matsuko Deluxe serves as one-day police chief in Shibuya, urges fraud caution
In short
TV personality Matsuko Deluxe was appointed one-day police chief of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Shibuya Station on Oct 7, appearing in police uniform at an event in Shibuya Ward and calling for vigilance against special fraud. The appointment came ahead of the national community safety campaign that starts Oct 11. Shibuya Station said its two priority issues are special fraud, particularly SNS-based investment fraud, and recruitment for "dark part-time jobs" that draw people into serious crime.
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TV personality and columnist Matsuko Deluxe was appointed one-day police chief of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Shibuya Station on Oct 7, appearing in police uniform at an event in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, and calling on the public to be careful about special fraud. The appointment was made ahead of the national community safety campaign, which starts Oct 11, according to Asahi Shimbun and NHK News. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
About 300 people attended and learned about cases of special fraud and of recruitment for "dark part-time jobs," Nippon TV News reported. Matsuko told the audience, according to the same outlet: 「全員疑った方がいいわよ」 (you had better suspect everyone), and TBS NEWS DIG carried the same line in its headline as 「全員疑うぐらいがいいわよ」. [ 3 , 4 ]
Shibuya Station said its two priority issues are special fraud — particularly "SNS-based investment fraud," in which people are persuaded to invest through social media and defrauded — and recruitment for illicit part-time work used to find people to carry out fraud and robberies, Asahi Shimbun reported. The station area includes relatively high-income residents, and consultations come from a wide age range, from people in their 20s to the elderly, the newspaper said. Because the area has many universities and vocational schools, the station is also putting effort into warning younger people about offers such as 「簡単に高収入」 (easy high income) that can draw them into serious crime, it said. [ 1 ]
TBS NEWS DIG said the event addressed special fraud, which it described as increasing at a record pace; no other document gives a trend or figure for fraud cases. [ 3 ]
Shibuya police asked that anyone who has been victimised, or who has become involved in illicit part-time work, consult the police without fail, Nippon TV News reported. [ 4 ]
Why it matters
The event highlights two crime problems Japanese police are prioritising in the Shibuya area: SNS-based investment fraud and recruitment of young people through illicit part-time job offers. A high-profile celebrity appointment is a routine police public-relations method to widen the reach of such warnings. The documents give no figures on the scale of either problem beyond the outlet statements cited.
Key facts
- Matsuko Deluxe, a TV personality and columnist, took up the post of one-day police chief at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Shibuya Station on Oct 7. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The appointment was made ahead of the national community safety campaign, which starts Oct 11. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Matsuko appeared in police uniform at an event held in a hall in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- About 300 people attended the event and learned about cases of special fraud and illicit part-time job recruitment. [ 4 ]
- Shibuya Station said its two priority issues are special fraud, especially SNS-based investment fraud that lures people with investment offers on social media, and recruitment for "dark part-time jobs" used to find people to carry out fraud and robberies. [ 1 ]
- Matsuko told the audience they should suspect everyone, saying: 「全員疑った方がいいわよ」. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Shibuya police asked people who have been victimised, or who have become involved in illicit part-time work, to consult the police without fail. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Matsuko Deluxe served as one-day police chief at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Shibuya Station on Oct 7. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The appointment was linked to the national community safety campaign beginning Oct 11. [ 1 , 2 ]
- At the event Matsuko called for caution against special fraud. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Whether special fraud cases are increasing at a record pace. Only TBS NEWS DIG says fraud is increasing at a record pace; the other documents do not give figures or a trend.
- The exact number of people who attended the event. Only Nippon TV News gives a figure, about 300; no other document states attendance.
- The exact timing of the event on Oct 7. Nippon TV News says only that it took place in the afternoon; no document gives a clock time.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Asahi Shimbun reports Matsuko Deluxe's appointment as one-day police chief at Shibuya Station and the station's two priority issues. [ 1 ]
- NHK News reports the appointment and the call for caution against special fraud ahead of the national community safety campaign. [ 2 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reports the event, citing fraud rising at a record pace. [ 3 ]
- Nippon TV News reports Matsuko's remarks to the roughly 300 people at the event and the police request that victims and those caught up in illicit part-time work consult officers. [ 4 ]