Spokesperson of the Springs police, Capt Johannes Ramphora, says it is imperative for residents to ensure they don’t fall victim to criminals, especially during the holiday season.
He says locals can follow the following safety tips:
At the bank:
n Do not expose your bank card to criminals.
n Always keep your pin safe and cover the key pad buttons when entering your pin at the ATM.
n When going to the bank, go with someone you trust.
n Don’t go to the ATM after hours.
n Don’t withdraw large sum of money, rather do cash transfers.
n Business owners should stop going to the bank with large sums of money.
n Stokvel members should rather go to the bank as a group when making withdrawals, or rather opt for transfers.
n When going to do grocery shopping, get yourself vouchers instead of carrying money.
n Employers, who carry or withdraw larger sums of money to pay employees, should rather ask employees to open bank accounts so that they can transfer the money.
House safety:
n When going on holiday, ask someone you can trust to look after your house.
n The person looking after your house should know not to allow access to strangers or people claiming to be from certain companies or the municipality. They should rather call the police or the house owner to check with them first.
n Ask a neighbour to look out for any suspicious activities taking place around or on your property.
n Do not leave the lights on 24 hours a day when on holiday as this attracts criminals.
n Inform your security company when you go away, or if you don’t have one, alert the SAPS so they can ask the sector vehicle in your area to patrol near your house.
n Don’t leave tools outside or anything that can be used by criminals to break into your home or cause danger to you.
Car safety:
n Do not leave your car parked outside your property.
n Have an alarm system or tracker.
n Always keep the vehicle locked.
n Ensure that your spare car keys are locked away in a safe place so that even if your house is broken into, the thieves won’t have easy access to your car.
n Have lock nuts on your wheels.
n Put all your valuables and firearm in a lockable safe.
n Keep your car inside a locked garage.
n Lock valuables such as handbags and laptops in the boot when travelling. Leaving them in plain sight will attract criminals.
“It is imperative for people not to fall prey to scams.
“If a company says they will come and install something for you, or provide you with a service, check the information of the company out first.
“When you receive an SMS saying you have won a competition or money, verify that first before giving people your banking details or money,” says Ramphora.
