Authorities have warned members of the community to be on high alert during the festive season.
Bank card scams increase during this season and the community is advised to be cautious while withdrawing money. “
A syndicate in Tzaneen targets ATM’s which are in isolated shopping complexes where they pretend to help people.
“In the process they exchange cards and immediately run to ATM’s which do not have CCTV cameras,” said Marius Jacobs of Canine Security.
Jacobs added that the syndicate is mostly well-dressed and well-spoken people.
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He urged residents to only allow the security guards who work at the ATM’s to assist them instead. Herald is aware of a number of businesses (cannot be named due to safety reasons) which have their ATM’s targeted by these groups.
Management of one of the businesses has assured the Herald that safety measures are in place and that they are doing everything in their power to protect their customers from criminals.
Criminals also target stokvel groups by robbing them of their hard earned cash which they saved throughout the year.
There has been reports of people being robbed of their stokvel money after withdrawing their money at the bank.
A few years ago there was an incident at a retail shop where stokvel groups, while in a queue to buy their groceries, were approached by people who pretended to be staff members of the store and demanded money from them.
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“We advise our customers to never give anyone money who claims to be a staff member. Stokvels submit a grocery list, we do a quotation and afterwards they go to our cash office where they pay for their groceries. Our caddies collect their stock while they enjoy refreshments prepared by our staff,” said Premjee, a wholesale grocery store in Tzaneen.
Premjee management added that customers must not use any transport because there are syndicates which steal the groceries during the transport.
“We ask community members to be on alert at ATM’s, they must not allow strangers to help them. Stokvel groups should rather transfer money to retailers to avoid carrying large amounts of money. Criminals must take note that we will deploy a huge number of our officers in shopping complexes and they will be arrested,” said Maj Gen Maggie Mathebula, Mopani district police commissioner.
