Greenwood Park police warn of crime trends

ONLINE shoppers and pedestrians have been warned to stay vigilant as spikes in crime have seen both fall prey to opportunistic criminals and fraudsters. Spokesperson for the Greenwood Park SAPS, Captain Jerome Slater said pedestrians who are distracted by their cell phones while walking are being targeted by criminals.

Avoid online fraud

“Shoppers need to be more vigilant about who they buy from and where they buy from regarding internet purchasing. It seems to be starting to increase. I think people are opting for online shopping because, rather than having to run around from shop to shop, they find it easier to purchase online and get their goods. Without realising it, a lot of people that shoppers are interacting with on the internet are not there to make a good sale, they are actually there just to get people to pay money into their accounts,” said Slater

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First time buyers are encouraged to do their research before making a purchase.

“Try and make sure that it is a legitimate company. Check whatever information is on that site. If there is a contact number, call to make sure the number connects to the right company. If you go onto the internet and type in the name of a shopping centre, several links will come up. Make sure you select the official site. Look for official logos and make calls to check,” he said.

“With Google maps, you can search an address and locate the business premises. You might find there’s no building and it’s just an open field,” he added.

Further to this, Slater advised shoppers to check the finer details of their purchase.

“Sometimes after you have called to confirm the product details, the company will send an email or SMS and you will find it is not the same thing you saw on the website,” he said.

Pedestrian theft

Another crime trend is cell phone theft and pedestrians who are absorbed in their phones are being targeted by opportunists.

“It’s mostly those people who are walking on the roads openly utilising their cell phones while walking. They are becoming easy targets, especially women, or young people who are easy to overpower. People must try to avoid utilising their cell phones while walking or openly displaying them,” he said.

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While the pattern indicates that cell phone users are at highest risk, listening to music while walking is also a risk for pedestrians.

“Most people tend to plug both ears and they can’t even hear the criminal coming up behind them. Avoid blocking both ears. If it’s a must, they must rather just plug on ear,” said Slater.

According to Salter, some criminals are driving by in vehicles and targeting distracted pedestrians, especially in the early morning when people are walking to work.

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