Crime in Costa Rica

Crime is not evenly distributed across Costa Rica. Risk changes with the neighborhood, hour, crowd level, transport setting, visible valuables, and whether a person is isolated or distracted. Opportunistic theft includes pickpocketing, bag theft, and taking unattended property. Busy buses, terminals, markets, nightlife areas, beaches, restaurants, and tourist stops can provide easy openings for offenders. Theft from vehicles is often described locally as tacha de vehículo. A locked car is not a secure storage box, and bags or electronics may attract attention even when partly hidden. Robbery involves threats or force and is different from unnoticed theft. Personal safety should come before protecting a phone, wallet, vehicle, or other replaceable property. Burglary can affect homes, holiday rentals, and businesses. Doors, windows, gates, keys, access codes, lighting, and routines all influence how easy a property is to enter. Scams, known broadly as estafas, may occur through messages, calls, false rentals, payment requests, impersonation, or offers that create urgency. A familiar logo, local phone number, or personal detail does not prove that a request is genuine. The Fuerza Pública handles immediate public-safety situations. The Organismo de Investigación Judicial, usually called the OIJ, investigates crimes and receives criminal complaints through its appropriate offices and procedures. Reporting can create an official record useful for investigation, insurance, banks, document replacement, or immigration and consular matters. Recovery is never guaranteed, so keeping copies, serial numbers, transaction records, and account controls remains important.