Bluff police help guard against ID fraud

IN the run-up to the festive season, Brighton Beach SAP embarked on an awareness campaign to safeguard local people and retailers from identity fraud.

Brighton Beach SAP hosted the campaign in partnership with ADT Security Services and tenants from Hillside Mall and Bluff Towers.
Brighton Beach SAP communications officer, Captain Louise Le Roux and detective fraud officer, Warrant Officer Greg Dorrofield created a brochure of guidelines, which were explained to store managers, who in turn, taught their staff members.

The 3,000 brochures that were distributed illustrated ways to avoid becoming a target of identity scammers. “People approach retailers claiming they have lost their retail shopper rewards card and provide a fraudulent identification document to get a duplicate card. Upon receipt of their new card, they will shop on the identity of another person,” said Capt Le Roux.

The guidelines stated:

* Always keep IDs, passports and driver’s licenses separate from each other and should not be left in a car. If lost or stolen, report it to the nearest police station immediately.

* Know your bank balance at all times through available banking notification systems and don’t use predictable passwords, such as date of birth or telephone numbers.

* Avoid doing banking transactions on a public computer.

* Confirm a company is legitimate before providing personal information and don’t do so over the phone.

* Keep personal information in a safe place and shred or burn sensitive documents.

* Only carry only information you need with you.

* Take mail from your letterbox as soon as it has been delivered.

* Change your mailing address as soon as you move.

* Don’t respond to messages from financial institutions requesting personal information to update your profile.

* Don’t sign blank cheques.

* Keep receipts and compare them to end-of-month statements. If there are any inconsistencies contact the company.

* Ensure purchases or withdrawals from shared accounts are made known to the other card holder.

* Destroy SIM cards that are no longer in use.

Brighton Beach SAP management thanks the role-players involved in the campaign. “As we embark on phase one of the pre-festive season, criminals commence their journeys to migrate into areas,
which are popular holiday destinations. We urge our community members and visitors to be more vigilant and take the necessary precautions to safeguard their identity,” said Capt Le Roux.