United States of America / United States of America (Northern Mariana Islands) travel advisories

Polio awareness (If you are traveling to a polio-endemic country or region, please consider getting additional vaccinations)

Feb. 21, 2025, midnight Wide area information (infectious diseases)

● If you are traveling to a country or region where polio is prevalent, please consider receiving additional vaccinations depending on the local infection situation.
● On May 5, 2014, WHO determined that the polio outbreak was a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and has announced that the polio outbreak continues to be a PHEIC.

[Wide-area information] Warning about special fraud cases (How to avoid becoming a perpetrator (Part 3))

Feb. 20, 2025, midnight wide area information

We would like to warn you about special fraud cases (How to avoid becoming a perpetrator (Part 3)).

Caution regarding overseas travel and stay during Ramadan

Feb. 17, 2025, midnight wide area information

●The period from around Friday, February 28th to around Tuesday, April 1st is the Islamic month of Ramadan and the festival marking the end of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr).
●During past Ramadan and Eid periods, there have been terrorist attacks carried out by international terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and their supporters.
Please make an effort to obtain the latest information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Overseas Safety Website, Tabi-Reji, news reports, etc., and take sufficient care to ensure your safety.

Warning about special fraud cases (How to avoid becoming a perpetrator (Part 2))

Dec. 16, 2024, midnight wide area information

We would like to provide you with a warning about special fraud cases (How to avoid becoming a perpetrator (Part 2)).

Alert for terrorism in Europe and the US

Dec. 9, 2024, midnight wide area information

During holiday and event seasons such as Christmas and New Year, there are increased gatherings and movements of people, which raises concerns that the possibility of terrorist attacks increases.
* In recent years, in Europe and the United States, there have been frequent terrorist attacks targeting places where security and surveillance are weak and where many ordinary citizens gather (soft targets). In particular, areas near tourist facilities, event venues, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, public transportation, religious facilities, etc. are prone to terrorist attacks and require constant caution.
○ Always make an effort to obtain the latest information and take sufficient precautions to ensure your safety.

Warning about special fraud (to avoid becoming a victim)

Nov. 29, 2024, midnight wide area information

We will issue wide-area information on special frauds.

[Warning] Telephone scams posing as Consulate General staff or Japanese police

Feb. 21, 2025, 6:52 a.m.

1. Recent Telephone Scam Methods The following are recent telephone scam methods that have been reported to the Embassy:
(1) Telephone call from the Consulate General (first step)
You will receive a call from someone claiming to be a consulate staff member (by the time the call is made, the perpetrator will already know some personal information (such as your name and address)).
Example of the perpetrator's statement:
"Your personal information is used to sign a contract for a mobile phone at a Japanese mobile phone shop, and the phone is then used to commit crimes (bank transfer fraud, etc.) and the Fukuoka Prefectural Police are investigating."
The Fukuoka Prefectural Police will contact you shortly, so please tell them your identification number (●▲×) and that you have been contacted by the Consulate General.
(2) Call from the Japanese police (second stage)
The victim received a call from someone claiming to be from the Fukuoka Prefectural Police. When the victim provided the authentication number and that he had been contacted by the Consulate General, he was asked to switch to a video call and was forced to install Telegram or LINE, and the interrogation began via video call.
Example of the perpetrator's statement:
"Please show us your ID (passport, driver's license, etc.) (The criminal will also show a fake police ID)."
"If you are not involved in this incident, you will need to submit a certificate of non-involvement and a complaint. We will accept this online request specially for those of you who live far away."
"(While I was going through the procedures for obtaining a certificate of non-involvement, etc., I suddenly heard a radio call.) The ringleader who was arrested in a different money laundering case stated that he bought the account from you, so we need to investigate you as a suspect. In order to identify you (showing the suspect to those involved in the case to confirm whether he is the culprit), please take a current photo of your face and send it to us."
"(Shortly after sending the photo) The ringleader stated that he definitely bought the account from you. Since you are a suspect, from now on you will be required to report your actions four times a day and share your location information. Please be aware that if you fail to report or are unable to contact him, you will be arrested immediately."
"This is a large-scale case, so please sign a non-disclosure agreement. Please be aware that if you disclose information about this case, you will be charged with another crime and may be arrested."
(3) Demands for money, remittances, etc. (Third stage)
After a few days of surveillance (reporting your actions and sharing your location), the perpetrator will become anxious and will put more pressure on you by showing you a forged arrest warrant, but they will also appear to be sympathetic and offer to help you prove your innocence, in order to gain your trust, and eventually they will ask for money.
Example of the perpetrator's statement:
"To check if your account has been used fraudulently, please let me check the last four digits of your bank account number and your current account balance."
"The police will check whether the money in your account is criminally obtained, so please transfer $X million to an account in Hong Kong."

2. Responses and preventive measures to avoid becoming a victim No embassy or consulate-general, nor Japanese police or customs will ever threaten arrest or deport you or ask for money through international phone calls or other means.
If you receive a phone call about something you do not recognize, assume that it is very likely a scam and act calmly.
(1) Do not answer calls from unknown numbers. (If you search the phone number on the Internet, you may find posts saying that it is spam.)
(2) If you receive a suspicious phone call, ignore it and hang up immediately.
(3) If the call continues, say, "I will call you back to the Consulate General or the police," and hang up.
(4) Call the name given by the criminal (such as the consulate) directly to confirm the facts. (Do not call back from the call history, but check the phone number from official information.) Even if the phone number displayed on the incoming call screen is correct, there are cases where the displayed number is spoofed, so do not trust it easily.
(5) Even if requested, never provide money (bank transfers, etc.) or personal information (credit card numbers, bank account numbers, social security numbers, etc.).
(6) Do not post your personal information on the Internet, including on social media.

If you receive a suspicious phone call or have accidentally provided money or personal information, please immediately report the matter to the police (NYPD SCAM ALERT hotline (Tel. 646-610-7226) or other relevant authorities) and then contact the Embassy.

【reference】
○ Warning about special frauds (to avoid becoming a victim) (Ministry of Foreign Affairs wide-area information) https://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/info/pcwideareaspecificinfo_2024C049.html
○ Types of special fraud, overview and countermeasures (special page of our embassy)
https://www.ny.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/News_110824.html
○NYPD Scam Alert Flyer
https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dfta/downloads/pdf/services/scam-alertf-flyer-v3.pdf
○NYPD SCAM ALERT hotline
Phone: (+1)646-610-7226
○NYPD Online Reporting Service
https://nypdonline.org/link/1017
○FBI Electronic Tip Form
https://tips.fbi.gov/home
○National Police Agency Special Fraud Prevention Page https://www.npa.go.jp/bureau/safetylife/sos47/case/#special-fraud


This email is automatically sent to the email address provided in your residence notification or the email address registered with Tabi-Regi.

[Contact Information]
Consulate-General of Japan in New York
299 Park Avenue 18th Floor, New York, NY 10171
TEL:(212)-371-8222
HP: http://www.ny.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jp/html/

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*If you have submitted a "Notification of Residence" and have returned to your home country or moved to another country (state), please submit a Notification of Return to Japan or Movement at the following URL.
https://www.ezairyu.mofa.go.jp/RRnet/residencereport/login
*In order to protect your family, friends, and colleagues in the event of a disaster or unrest, please tell your acquaintances, business travelers, and tourists to file a Residence Notification (for stays of 3 months or more) or register for Tabi-Regi (for stays of less than 3 months) so that information on safety measures can reach as many people as possible.

[Warning] Special fraud case in the name of security services for communication apps

Feb. 21, 2025, 6:11 a.m.

[Main text]
1. The gist of this incident, which occurred within the jurisdiction of this state, is that a Japanese resident received a call from a person believed to be Chinese, who explained that the security service for the communication app (WeChat) would become a paid service, and instructed the Japanese resident to transfer money several times to a bank (the suspect's term) managed by the Financial Services Agency of China and Japan.

2 After that, he was instructed to keep the LINE call connected with the screen on, because this was necessary for identity verification, and there was also wording urging him to complete the procedure so that he would not consult a third party.

3. If you receive a suspicious phone call, first suspect that it may be a scam, do not give in to what the caller says, and immediately hang up the phone and calmly deal with the situation by consulting with a family member or acquaintance or reporting the call to the police.
It is common for the phone number displayed on the incoming call screen to be spoofed, so please do not trust them easily.

4. Fraud methods are becoming more complex and sophisticated every year, and perpetrators use various methods to gain the trust of their victims and then cheat them out of their money. Even in cases where people are fortunate enough to realize they are being scammed in advance and avoid becoming a victim, there are many cases where they would likely have been cheated out of their money if they had not received advice or guidance from a calm third party such as a relative or acquaintance.

5. In addition to the methods we have mentioned, there have been reports of romance scams using matching apps and phishing scams disguised as online shopping scams. Please make an effort to gather information on a regular basis, and do not become complacent thinking "it's okay because I won't be deceived." Instead, exercise extreme caution.

6. We ask all Japanese residents in Japan to please refer to the above and take great care to avoid becoming a victim of fraud. If you receive a similar phone call, please remain calm and take appropriate action, such as contacting the police if necessary. Please also inform our Embassy.

[Reference information]
○Customs website: Please beware of suspicious phone calls, emails and bank transfer scams claiming to be from the customs office
https://www.customs.go.jp/news/news/oshirase/caution201203.htm
Metropolitan Police Department website: Police officer impersonation scams https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/kurashi/tokushu/police_officer.html
○FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) Website: Common Frauds and Scams
https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams

Consulate General of Japan in Nashville
1801 West End Avenue, suite 900
Nashville, TN 37203
615-340-4300
Website: https://www.nashville.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_ja/index.html

*If you have submitted a "Residence Notification" and have made changes to your household members or address, returned to your home country, or moved to one of our jurisdiction states (AR, KY, LA, MS, TN), please submit a change, return to your home country, or move out notification at the following URL.
https://www.nashville.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/zairyutodoke.html

* In order to protect your family, friends, and colleagues in the event of a disaster or unrest, we ask that you tell your acquaintances, business travelers, and tourists to file a residence notification (for stays of 3 months or more) or register for a travel registration card (for stays of less than 3 months) so that information on safety measures can reach as many people as possible. You can file a residence notification or register for a travel registration card at the following URL.
https://www.ezairyu.mofa.go.jp/

Temporary closure due to snowfall forecast (February 19th)

Feb. 19, 2025, 12:16 p.m.

Consulate General of Japan in Nashville
1801 West End Avenue, suite 900
Nashville, TN 37203
615-340-4300
Website: https://www.nashville.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_ja/index.html

*If you have submitted a "Residence Notification" and have made changes to your household members or address, returned to your home country, or moved to one of our jurisdiction states (AR, KY, LA, MS, TN), please submit a change, return to your home country, or move out notification at the following URL.
https://www.nashville.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/zairyutodoke.html

* In order to protect your family, friends, and colleagues in the event of a disaster or unrest, we ask that you tell your acquaintances, business travelers, and tourists to file a residence notification (for stays of 3 months or more) or register for a travel registration card (for stays of less than 3 months) so that information on safety measures can reach as many people as possible. You can file a residence notification or register for a travel registration card at the following URL.
https://www.ezairyu.mofa.go.jp/

Warning about worsening weather with snowfall

Feb. 19, 2025, 3:32 a.m.

Consulate General of Japan in Nashville
1801 West End Avenue, suite 900
Nashville, TN 37203
615-340-4300
Website: https://www.nashville.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_ja/index.html

*If you have submitted a "Residence Notification" and have made changes to your household members or address, returned to your home country, or moved to one of our jurisdiction states (AR, KY, LA, MS, TN), please submit a change, return to your home country, or move out notification at the following URL.
https://www.nashville.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/zairyutodoke.html

* In order to protect your family, friends, and colleagues in the event of a disaster or unrest, we ask that you tell your acquaintances, business travelers, and tourists to file a residence notification (for stays of 3 months or more) or register for a travel registration card (for stays of less than 3 months) so that information on safety measures can reach as many people as possible. You can file a residence notification or register for a travel registration card at the following URL.
https://www.ezairyu.mofa.go.jp/

Notice of temporary closure of the Consulate General of Japan in Portland (February 14)

Feb. 14, 2025, 4:16 p.m.

■Consular Office in Portland Address: 1300 SW 5th Ave, Suite 2700, Portland OR 97201
Phone: 503-221-1811 (representative)
Web: https://www.portland.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_ja/index.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JapaneseConsularOfficePortland/

Notice of temporary closure of the Consulate General of Japan in Portland (afternoon of February 13th)

Feb. 14, 2025, 4:26 a.m.

■Consular Office in Portland Address: 1300 SW 5th Ave, Suite 2700, Portland OR 97201
Phone: 503-221-1811 (representative)
Web: https://www.portland.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_ja/index.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JapaneseConsularOfficePortland/