As Japan's national census approaches, there has been an increase in fraudulent activities exploiting this nationwide event. The perpetrators target unsuspecting residents by disguising themselves as government or census officials. The police have issued a warning and urge citizens to be vigilant, particularly this year when scams seem to be more frequent. Public education about these scams is also being ramped up in order to equip citizens with information to protect themselves against such frauds.

Given Japan's aging population and high respect for authority, older residents might be particularly vulnerable to such scams as they are inclined to cooperate with perceived government officials. As a society that values harmony, such fraudulent activities disrupt societal trust and are heavily frowned upon. The police and communities work together to raise awareness and minimize these fraudulent activities.

In the US or EU, similar census scams occur. Educational campaigns, law enforcement actions, and public awareness are the common measures adopted, similar to Japan. However, such scams may take different forms depending on local cultures and legislations, thus different ways of handling them might be involved.