With the festive season fast approaching, fraud is one of the main concerns for the Bedfordview SAPS.
The spokesperson of the Bedfrodview SAPS, Warrant Officer Mduduzi Nhlabathi, said although there are cases of fraud reported throughout the year, there is always an increase during this time.
“Criminals take advantage of the fact that people are excited to go on holiday and there’s always extra cash during this time. We urge our people to not let their guard down. They worked hard for their money and they must take care of it,” he said.
W/O Nhlabathi said malls and restaurants are some of the hotspots.
“Consumers using cards to shop with are targeted the most. Make sure your bank or credit cards are swiped right in front of you. Always keep your eyes on your cards and ask when you are not understanding why the card has to be swiped into different machines should that happen. Before you key in your pin, verify that you are authorising the correct amount,” said W/O Nhlabathi.
He said although the SAPS is always available to help, residents must take the necessary steps to protect themselves against these kinds of crime.
“Even when we open a case and investigate, your money would be gone. We want our people to enjoy their holidays and not fall victim to criminals – that is why we ask them over and over again to take precautions in keeping themselves and their families safe,” he said.
Card skimming activities happening at petrol stations are also a concern for for the SAPS.
W/O Nhlabathi said when buying on credit, people must keep track of their balances and check their statements regularly.
“We have cases where people opened clothing and cellphone contract accounts with ID books stolen from other people. We also urge shops to keep an eye on their staff members because in some of these cases, there are store managers involved. Our people must always know where their ID books, passports and drivers licences are at all times. This is important because these are the known methods of identification in the country,” said W/O Nhlabathi.
W/O Nhlabathi said basic precautions need to be taken when using ATMs.
“Inspect the machine before inserting your card. This is because criminals sometimes insert card skimming devices to be able to clone your card,” said W/O Nhlabathi.
He advised against withdrawing and carrying large amounts of cash.
“To be able to carry cash over R50 000 one needs to have permission. So I encourage anyone needing to carry a lot of cash to seek advice from the police,” said W/O Nhlabathi.
