Members of the public are warned not to carry or keep large amounts of cash in their homes.
Citizens should consider options that are lower risk, such as carrying as little cash as possible, making use of cell-phone banking and Internet transfers to pay accounts, and using ATMs to do banking.
This warning follows an incident on December 3 at Thenjane Reserve in Umbumbulu.
A group of four stokvel members were at a house to divide up the money. While they were busy counting the cash, armed suspects entered and fired shots at them, striking all four.
The suspects fled the scene with a large sum of cash. The injured victims were taken to hospital, where a 62-year-old man later died. Charges of robbery and murder were opened for investigation at Umbumbulu SAPS.
Also read: Stay alert when using ATMs or carrying cash so you don’t become a target for criminals
Tips to help avoid being the victim of a cash robbery:
- Alternate the days and times on which you deposit cash
- Refrain from making cash deposits
- Never make your bank visits public, even to people close to you
- Do not openly display the money you are depositing while you are standing in the bank queue
- Avoid carrying money bags, briefcases or openly displaying your deposit receipt book
- It’s advisable to identify another branch nearby that you can visit to ensure that your banking pattern is not easily recognisable or detected
- If the amount of cash you are regularly depositing is increasing as your business grows, consider using the services of a cash management company
- Refrain from giving wages to your contract or casual labourers in full view of the public. Rather make use of wage accounts that can be provided by your bank
- Refrain from driving to the bank in your company-branded vehicle on a typical ‘pay day’
- Consider arranging for electronic transfers of wages to your contract or casual labourers’ personal bank accounts
- Transfer stokvel money into members’ accounts from the bank or through Internet banking
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