Carrying cash in today’s society is a big no-no and yet we still see many people drawing cash or providing their domestic staff with a cash lump sum bonus.
Chief executive officer of Fidelity Services Group Wahl Bartmann said, “The risks involved with carrying large amounts of cash are high. Anyone carrying cash is seen as an easy target. We’ve heard of incidences where domestic staff for example have been accosted and robbed just after being paid in cash or drawing cash from an ATM.”
With the festive season approaching, many employees will be receiving bonuses and Bartmann urges employers not to pay their staff in cash, “There are numerous options in terms of bank accounts, retail store cash transfers and the likes. Look for alternatives to cash payouts wherever possible.”
He said stokvel payouts are also an area of concern, “Annually members of a stokvel receive a lump sum payout, depending on the stokvel of course. Criminals are aware of this, whether this is through inside information or not, and will target the recipient shortly after the meeting making off with the cash.”
Midrand Police Station spokesperson Constable Eliot Mabulane said police are working hard to keep the community safe during the festive season. “Make sure you do not expose your pin to the next person when withdrawing money, don’t ask a stranger for help while at the ATM. Stokvels must please avoid withdrawing a lot of money; transfer it to each other’s banks to stay safe. Swipe with cards to pay, criminals will target cash withdrawals.
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