Hello, I live in Tokyo. Yesterday, I rode my motorbike to Shibuya. I parked it on a small street adjacent to the shop I intended to visit, rather than in a designated parking space (my decision, my responsability). Returning from the shop after only 5 minutes, I discovered a “no parking” sticker on my bike. Well, it was my fault for parking illegally. Removing the sticker, I assumed I’d receive a fine by mail in the coming days. However, that’s when things took an interesting turn.
Upon starting the bike, I noticed an unusual noise coming from the front wheel—it was locked with a large motorcycle lock, clearly not mine. I was quite surprised and unsure of what to do. Examining the sticker, I found a QR code instructing me to scan it for online fine payment. Unfortunately, the QR code was unreadable, likely due to its crumpled state by the people who put it here (I removed the sticker gently, so it wasn’t my fault). The sticker also bore the name of a company: CyberPatrolG.
After contemplating for a while, I decided to go to the nearest police box. The officers there were as surprised as I was! They were unaware of such activities and suggested it might be operated by a private company, making it beyond their jurisdiction. On my way back to the motorcycle, I encountered two officers from the local illegal parking brigade (unsure of the English term), identifiable by their bright green outfits. They, too, confirmed they had never encountered such a situation.
Attempting to access the “company’s” website directly using its URL, instead of the QR code, I found only a homepage without a payment section. Faced with the need to return home, I took an alternative approach—I went to the nearest hardware store, bought a hammer and a hacksaw, and successfully removed the lock.
Once back home, I delved into online research and came across an insightful blog article: [https://komurokei2025.com/archives/18538](https://komurokei2025.com/archives/18538). It appears this activity may be a scam, exploiting unsuspecting individuals like myself. The suggested fine was ¥33,000 for a motorcycle, around 5-6 times higher than the official government fine for street parking violations.
This seems to be not only financially exploitative but potentially criminal, as locking another person’s vehicle is prohibited in Japan: [https://www.bengo4.com/c\_8/c\_1844/n\_5733/](https://www.bengo4.com/c_8/c_1844/n_5733/). Additionally, the storage of pictures of my bike and license plate on their website raises questions about legality.
While I’m not particularly proud of my actions, I believe I did what was necessary. This is why I’m sharing my experience here—to gather opinions on this situation and raise awareness.
I apologize for not capturing any photos; I was genuinely distressed by the situation and failed to think clearly enough to document it.
by broboblob