Japan’s dancing cop video with anti-fraud message goes viral

The video, uploaded to Photo screengrab by hp_maplekun/X

SINGAPORE – Stoic-looking, smartly dressed police officers perform kawaii dance moves to children’s songs that sound almost like a nursery rhyme.

In this way, some Japanese police officers want to draw attention to scams on social networks. And it works.

A video of the dance uploaded to X by Hiroshima Prefectural Police on October 7 garnered 10 million views and 94,000 likes in five days.

The clip shows uniformed police officers dancing in front of various backdrops. The clip was edited with special effects and paired with children singing an anti-fraud song in their high, cute voices.

“They flirt with you…mistaking your heart for ‘I love you,'” they sing. “They take advantage of your romance and invade your heart. You transfer your money and get scammed. You’ll never get your money back.”

According to local reports, the video was produced by the Asaminami Police Station to raise awareness and prevent scams where victims are tricked into transferring money while developing interest in the scammer through social media platforms such as Instagram .

It was reported that the police station received ten such scam reports in August and most of the victims are between 40 and 60 years old.

The song is reportedly being sung by local kindergarten students who have been practicing since September. They were then presented with thank-you letters.

The video has since gone viral with some netizens saying it was effective and memorable.

“It has such an impact that I can’t forget it even if I wanted to. No matter how good a video you make, it’s meaningless if it’s not memorable,” X user @mogmog_mesitero commented on the video.

“Definitely more effective than handing out leaflets one at a time on the street,” said another supporter, who uses the pseudonym @mikan_tec on X. The Straits Times/ANN