Crime

Hi Sly,

It's me again... crime and violence are everywhere, not just here in Brazil. I have lived in São Paulo and several other cities here in Brazil. Despite the fact that it is the fourth largest city in the world and largest in South America it is certainly nowhere near as bad as the situation in Rio de Janeiro. In fact, I have never had any problem in the years that I have lived in São Paulo, unlike other places where I´ve lived.

Certainly, you need to take precautions in order not to MAKE yourself a target. To be truthfull, most crime here in Brazil are crimes of oppertunity, careless victims making themselves stand out or look vulnerable. Follow the advice below and I´m sure you will, like me, be able to say 10 years from now that you too have never had a problem with crime and violence.

Safety Tips

Learn and use only the Portuguese language in public... you will not stand out that way.

Dress down / Dress Brazilian - shorts (baggies), sandals or flip-flops, T-shirts, tank tops, etc. are the ORDER OF THE DAY here.

Do not wear expensive watches or other jewelry, don't carry expensive cameras out in the open.

Get to know the city you will be living in, find out what areas you can frequent in safety any time day or night (these still exist) and which areas to avoid at night unless you are part of a group. Favelas, generally speaking gringoes are not too welcome in nor would they venture into favelas unless they are accompanied by a Brazilian who either resides in, or has family in, the favela. If you do NEVER TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH IN PUBLIC, this could be extremely dangerous.

Money - carry only as much money with you as you will need for what you plan doing, never carry large amounts of cash. Never take your wallet out and count your money in public, that is inviting trouble. If you are making a purchase have a bit more that you anticipate the price in your pocket, use that to pay for the purchase. Separate the cash you do carry, some in your wallet, some in your pocket, some inside your sock, etc.

ATM transactions and credit card transactions - NEVER use an ATM in an isolated area at night, if you need to make an ATM withdrawl at night look for a machine in a busy location such as a major gas station/convenience store. During the day most ATM transactions are safe, but you must take certain precautions. When you are keying in your PIN code ALWAYS hide the numbers you are entering (using your other hand), many machines have fake fronts installed that skim the magnetic info on your card when you put it in the card slot and a micro-camera positioned to see the keys you press when entering your PIN. If the ATM looks at all unusual or has anything you don't like the look of DON'T USE IT. Make sure there is nobody hanging around either outside or inside the bank watching those making transactions. When paying for anything by credit card, never let the card out of your sight. If a waiter or service station attendant has to swipe your card for the transaction and doesn't have a portable/wireless terminal then go with him or her to process the transaction. There are card readers that record your information and your card gets cloned. If the transaction is on the old paper forms, make sure to ask for the carbon paper and not leave it behind for somebody to read.

Documents - make certified copies of all your important documents, passport, visa, birth certificate, etc. and carry only the certified copies around with you... your CPF or RNE and if you drive here in Brazil your licence are about the only original documents you will need to carry with you.

Follow these simple rules and you will be just fine and you'll love Brazil as much as I do.

Regards,
James

hi james

i have had concern about crime this week as my friends from work have been telling me brazil is in the top 10 most dangerous countrys in the world. i am so glad to hear you have not experienced this. i feel better to know it...

I am an American, moved to Sao Paulo in 1992 and haven't seen any violence personally.  Of course you will see it on the TV, but have never had any trouble (knock on wood).  Rio is worse.  Good luck!

Hi all, I think it is great that you are spreading the message that Brazil is not as scary and dangerous as the stories say and I totally encourage this but can you please please please stop saying "Rio is worse" and "not as bad as Rio", this is also a general and arguable statement which is what we are trying to fight against already for the image of Brazil! When I first visited Rio I had heard so many scary stories that I was almost afraid to interact and enjoy my experience here! This is not a good message for tourists or anyone else thinking of coming to visit, Rio, Sao Paulo or anywhere! Reality is we live in big cities where crime of course exists but so does normal life! Tourists can come here every day and have an amazing experience! And they do! Please anyone who has concerns about visiting Rio just message me and I will be glad to help answer any questions. And Sao Paulo friends, please don't be afraid to visit too, you might even like it! :-)

what a great response, thank u all   }:^)

keep adding your comments!!

I would not want to live in Rio, especially with the Olympics coming and the favelas continuously growing.  Sao Paulo is also over-populated, and to be honest with you, I cannot wait to leave and go back to the USA.  Gasoline costs over US$ 6.40 p/ gallon, traffic congestion, crazy drivers, very little shopping selection, over-priced clothing and electronics, 60% import tax.  I can do w/o it. The Brazilian people are wonderful and helpful though.  Just my opinion though, and probably not the consenus.

Hi
As for my experience here in SP  so far i have been roaming around by bus and train and i can say that it is  pretty safe compared to other places I have been. living here for almost 9 months now, so far i am  okey. at first I was so tense beacuse  of the stories that I hear everyday from other  people.But as long as you follow all the tips that was givin to you by  Sir James you'll been just fine like me.the only problem that you will tackle everyday is the language but as long as you have a chance to study and interract with brazilian friends you will  be able to understand little by little. Generally, brazilian people are very warm and friendly so I'm pretty sure you'll have a wonderul time here.
Good luck
Josephine

Hi Josephine,

Yes, if you take the common sense precautions that one should take ANYWHERE they travel São Paulo is no different than any major city in the world. You can get robbed or ripped off just as easily in Amsterdam, New York or Istanbul for sure.

Thanks for your feedback and for your vote of confidence in the tips that I posted.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, Expat-blog Experts Team

Hi Slyfitness,

I take all precautions outlined in this thread and although I live in an upscale neighbourhood, do not walk around at night and am always aware of my surroundings.  I have lived in Sao Paulo for two years. 

Here are some occurrences to note in these two years.   Vehicle theft is rampant.  So rampant, in fact, that two of my friends have had their vehicles stolen - twice each.  I also had my car stolen.  My new vehicle has been broken into three times - all while the car was parked in paid "secure" lots.  I also have four colleagues who have been held up at gunpoint;  one in their home and three others in their vehicles. 

Use common sense and never let your guard down.

Good luck.

Right on Gringa77, if you take all the necessary precautions you're not going to eliminate ALL of the risks, but you'll probably avoid the "face-to-face" encounters with the crooks that pose the biggest risk to your safety. If your car or apartment gets broken into while you're not around, although you've been a victim, you at least have not been placed in a life threatening situation. That's the main thing.

I've lived in Brazil for 13 years now in 5 different states and visited 2 others. I lived in São Paulo for several years, several more in Belo Horizonte and a couple in Porto Seguro, now in the north coast of Rio de Janeiro state. All of these are "dangerous" places, but they're not right off the scale dangerous when you play it safe, just like you've found out by yourself.

For anyone who is interested, there is a much more extensive list of safety tips in my posting

A Gringo's Survival Guide to Brazil

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team