NOTICE: New criminal scams, tactics revealed
TAKE NOTE: New scams and tactics to steal money and valuables revealed.
With a busy retail season approaching in April, criminals are once again devising new scams and tactics to steal money and valuables.
One such scheme that has recently come to the fore according to SBV Services, a cash services company, is criminals posing as cash-in-transit collection officers.
From fake bank emails to skimming credit cards and phonecalls from people pretending to be someone else to get sensitive information, misdirection and illusion are some of the most significant tools criminals use to set up their thefts. And this tactic has now extended to bogus cash collections by criminals who pose as cash-in-transit guards to get access to cash and valuables, and then rob the rightful owners.
SBV Services said they have specifically designed its cash-in-transit processes to prevent this type of heists.
Here are some tips on how to know if a cash collection is legitimate or fake:
Confirmation process
Cash collection companies have a very specific process for notifying their clients about when they will be collecting cash. Even the smallest deviation in the process of notification (too soon, too early or not done using the usual channels) should set off alarm bells for retailers.
Keep it quiet
No information about an upcoming cash collection should be shared with employees who don’t have clearance and should definitely not be shared with any members of the public.
Check guards’ identification
Guards should have clearly visible branding on their clothes and should be able to show identification that confirms they are the people who are expected for the pickup. All identification should be checked before the guards are taken to the area where cash is being held. And if things are not in order, the cash-in-transit company’s main control room should be contacted before any further collection steps are taken.
These simple precautions can go a long way towards helping retailers stay on the front foot and not become victims of ever-evolving criminal scams, making the upcoming Easter holiday season profitable and not problematic.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za  (please remember to include your contact details in the email) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
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