Spring has sprung and with the last stretch to the December summer holidays, South Africans couldn’t wait for the last long weekend of the year as they celebrated Heritage Day on 24 September.
Although the public holiday fell on a Sunday, Monday’s holiday created a three-day break coupled with the fact that it was also a pay-day weekend.
This was a joyous time to celebrate our diverse cultures and rich heritage, however, it is equally our experience that weekends such as these herald an escalation of organised criminal activity.
Richard Phillips, joint CEO of Cash Connect and expert in cash management and logistics offers the following tips to reduce your risk of becoming a victim of cash crime on long weekends.
- Check that your cash vault has the ability to withstand the toughest of attacks
- Ensure that cash is deposited into your cash vault frequently throughout the trading day
- Avoid making manual cash deposits at an ATM or bank branches
- Never announce to anyone when you will take cash to the bank for manual deposits
- Avoid openly displaying the money you are depositing while standing at an ATM or in a bank queue
- Don’t carry money bags or briefcases when going to deposit cash at an ATM or at the bank
- Change the days and times on which you deposit cash
- Try to do electronic transfers instead of paying staff wages in cash
- Avoid using the same ATMs and bank branches
- Refrain from driving to the bank in your company branded vehicle on a typical payday
- Isolate and close down the cash office area during the collections and ensure that the room where the cash exchange or handover is being made has access restrictions
- Assist the cash-in-transit collection team by being prepared
- Be on the lookout for suspicious vehicles and people lurking in the area
- Urge staff to not disclose any information about the way the business is run
- Test your alarm system regularly and ensure that your service is linked to a reputable and reliable armed response company
- Business owners should consider a robust cash vault that can withstand the toughest of attacks as well as explosives.
“Retailers are entitled to operate in a safe and efficient trading environment and we encourage retail owners to adopt the world-class technology South Africa has to offer to mitigate and curb these brazen criminal activities,” advised Phillips.
Have you ever witnessed a cash-in-transit crime? Share your experience with us by commenting on our Facebook page.
