TOKYO (TR) – A loss-prevention tag is a device that when connected to a smartphone can enable a user to know its location. The are a convenient means to prevent loss and and theft.
However, the increased use of the tags has been accompanied by a surge in stalking cases, which reached a record high last year, reports TBS News (Mar. 19).
On March 19, the National Police Agency announced the number of consultations regarding acts of misuse of loss-prevention tags reached a record high of 679 cases in 2025. This is nearly double the number from the previous year, with stalking using the tags being a growing problem.
“Compared to the period between and January and March 2025, the number of requests increased by about 1.5 times,” says Toru Tamura, the CEO of TryAgent, a company that specializes in security issues.
Conceal them
Tamura says that persons misusing the tags often conceal them inside or on vehicles.
“The underside of the vehicle,” says Tamura. “They’re usually attached using magnets, whose batteries could be changed many times, and there winds up being considerable wear and tear on the double-sided tape or magnets.”
Such use can lead to tragedy.
In December 2025, a woman was murdered in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Police later revealed that the ex-boyfriend of the victim had sent a stuffed animal containing a loss-prevention tag to the woman’s parents’ house. Police believe the man may have identified the woman’s home using the tag’s location information.
Earlier this year, a man in custody for dumping the corpse of a woman in Saitama Prefecture has also been accused of stalking her. According to police, he affixed a loss-prevention tag to her vehicle before abducting her.
Smartphone
As prevention measure, smartphones can be set to notify a user if an unfamiliar tag is nearby.
Tamura says, “The person who sets a trap is likely to be someone you’ve had contact with before. If you’ve had trouble, don’t accept things from people.”
As well, if you find an unfamiliar tag at home, it’s important to consult the police, says Tamura.
