Brazilian police and media report that the crime rate remains high in most urban centers, including the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and is also growing in rural areas within those states.
Brazil's murder rate is more than four times higher than that of the United States, and rates for other crimes are similarly high.
Street crime remains a problem for visitors and local residents alike.
Foreign tourists, including U.S. citizens, are often targets, especially in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Recife.
While the risk is greater during the evening and at night, street crime also occurs during the day, and safer areas of cities are not immune.
Incidents of theft on city buses are frequent.
You should keep a copy of your passport with you while in public and keep your passport in a hotel safe or other secure place.
You should also carry proof of your health insurance with you.
The incidence of crime against tourists is greater in areas surrounding beaches, hotels, discotheques, bars, nightclubs, and other tourist destinations.
It is especially prevalent prior to and during Carnival (Brazilian Mardi Gras), but also occurs throughout the year.
Several Brazilian cities have established specialized tourist police units to patrol areas frequented by tourists.
Use caution when traveling through rural areas and satellite cities due to reported incidents of roadside robberies that randomly target passing vehicles.
Robberies and "quicknappings" outside of banks and ATMs occur regularly.
In a "quicknapping," criminals abduct victims for a short time in order to receive a quick payoff from the family, business, or the victim's ATM card.
Some victims have been beaten and/or raped.
You should also take precautions to avoid being carjacked, especially in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and other cities.
In airports, hotel lobbies, bus stations, and other public places, pick pocketing and the theft of hand-carried luggage and laptop computers is common.
You should "dress down" when in public and avoid carrying valuables or wearing jewelry or expensive watches.
"Good Samaritan" scams are common.
If a tourist looks lost or seems to be having trouble communicating, a seemingly innocent bystander offering help may actually be a participant in a scam.
Take care at and around banks and ATMs which accept U.S. credit or debit cards.
Travelers using personal ATM or credit cards sometimes receive billing statements with unauthorized charges after returning from a visit to Brazil, or discover that their cards were cloned or duplicated without their knowledge.
If you use such payment methods, carefully monitor your bank records for the duration of your visit.
While the ability of Brazilian police to help recover stolen property is limited, we strongly advise you to obtain a "boletim de ocorrencia" (police report) at a "delegacia" (police station) if any of your possessions are lost or stolen.
This will facilitate your exit from Brazil and assist with insurance claims.
Be aware, however, that the police in tourist areas are on the lookout for false reports of theft for purposes of insurance fraud.
Do not buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available.
These goods are illegal in the United States, and if you purchase them you may also be breaking local law.
Brasilia: Brasilia has significant crime problems.
Reports of residential burglaries continue to occur in the generally affluent residential sections of the city.
Public transportation, hotel sectors, and tourist areas report the highest crime rates, but statistics show that these incidents can happen anywhere and at anytime.
The "satellite cities" that surround Brasilia have per-capita crime rates comparable to much larger cities.
Police reports indicate that rates of all types of crime, including "quicknappings," have risen dramatically in Brasilia in the last two years.
Brasilia's Central Bus Station or "Rodoviaria" is a particularly dangerous area, especiall
