Stealing cellphones and carrying out fraudulent SIM swaps remain an ongoing problem in Krugersdorp, with criminals leveraging accessible smart devices to target victims.

According to the acting station commander of the Krugersdorp Police Station, Colonel Jacques van den Berg, cellphone theft is a persistent issue, particularly in the CBD.

“When your phone gets stolen or SIM-swapped, you should contact your network provider as soon as possible,” Van den Berg said.

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“They will give you a reference number for proof that your phone has been blacklisted. Next, you should go to your nearest police station and give them that reference number, where police will register a case,” he added.

He said residents should also keep the contact details of their network provider at hand when reporting a stolen phone.

Should debit or credit cards be stolen, bank contact details should also be readily available.

Preventative security measures

Van den Berg advised using two-factor authentication and warned against responding to communication requesting personal details.

“Add a PIN to your SIM card to protect it, and don’t ever share your phone number online,” he concluded.