An award ceremony was held in Chuo Ward, Kobe, organized by the Hyogo Prefectural Police, to announce winners of a video contest aimed at raising awareness about increasing fraud cases, particularly focusing on the popular but dangerous 'romance scams.' At the ceremony, ATSUSHI, a member of the famous dance and vocal group EXILE and special anti-crime support officer, praised the creativity of the participants and their efforts to combat fraudulent practices through engaging short videos.

The contest attracted submissions from students across the prefecture, with 40 entries designed to inform viewers about different types of scam tactics, notably those exploiting romance and investment opportunities. The winners included Izumi Kinoshita from Kobe Gakuin University High School, who tackled romance scams, and Tomonatsu Okada from Kobe Koyou Design & Technology College, who focused on impersonation fraud by posing as police officers. Their innovative approaches and dedicated design considerations received commendations from both ATSUSHI and the police.

Hyogo Prefectural Police reported a staggering annual fraud loss of approximately 14.3 billion yen attributed to social media-based investment and romance scams, marking the highest figures recorded. The initiative emphasizes the growing importance of public awareness and prevention strategies to protect citizens from these increasingly prevalent forms of deception. With ATSUSHI encouraging broad viewership of the educational content, the project hopes to contribute significantly to reducing fraud victims in the community.