Kidnappings during hijackings are becoming common as criminals need to get your data to access your cash.
A 23-year-old woman and her friend were hijacked and kidnapped from her Sydenham, Johannesburg, driveway last week, and lived to tell the tale.
The pair were the latest victims of a disturbing trend in contact crime. In express kidnappings, victims are forced into vehicles, driven around for a period while criminals raid their personal information, including banking details, PIN numbers, and passwords.
Security expert Gerrit van Heerden of Community Monitoring Services (or CMS) said that this kind of crime is on the increase, primarily due to technological advancements.
“Nobody can steal cash anymore, life is digital, which means that contact crime now requires extraction of information, not just a rob and go with possessions and cash,” he said. “While technology has made our lives easier, it’s also added a measure of danger when it comes to crime.”
Watch: Kira Scopp shares her nightmare
The woman, Kira Scopp, was sitting in her friend’s car outside her house.
“It all happened so fast,” Scopp said.
The pair had been talking for about 30 minutes when a small yellow and branded e-hailing vehicle parked behind them.
“I thought nothing of it at the time,” she said.
It was only when the e-hailing car was followed by a second vehicle that blocked their way, alarm bells went off. It was too late then, as three armed men emerged from the second car, a Toyota Avanza van.
Scopp was forced out of the car, with one of the men pressing a gun into her stomach. “He told me to get into the van,” Scopp said. “When I hesitated, he pushed the gun harder into my stomach. I was so scared, my whole body just froze.”
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Van Heerden noted that situational awareness is critical to avoid becoming a target.
“When you’re approaching your driveway on the way home, turn off the radio, open your window a little, and pay attention to what’s happening around you,” he advised. “Criminals tend to target people who are distracted. If you’re aware of your surroundings, you can spot potential threats before they escalate.”
Three of the suspects then drove off with Scopp and her friend in their van, while the remaining hijacker stole the friend’s car.
“They were asking me for everything. My phone PIN, my bank details, even my house keys,” Scopp recalled. “They were asking questions about where I lived and who was in the house, trying to break me down, to get every detail they could.”
Criminals touched her inappropriately
As the drive continued, one of the men began touching Scopp inappropriately.
“He kept touching me while trying to get more information out of me. I was terrified,” Scopp said. “I couldn’t control myself, and I ended up peeing my pants. When he felt that, he stopped touching me sexually and pulled his hands away. It was humiliating, but I couldn’t focus on that, I was just trying to stay alive.”
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During the ride, Scopp’s father called her phone.
“I had no idea at the time, but he had my location on Life360, which he later said helped him track me,” Scopp said.
The criminals forced her to answer the call and lie to her father, telling him everything was fine.
“I didn’t even realise at the time how much my dad had been tracking me. I’m grateful he was able to help later, but at that moment, I was just trying to survive.”
The kidnappers drove for about an hour, taking Scopp through Alexandra township.
“I could tell we were in Alex. It was hard to process because I felt trapped, and I wasn’t sure what would happen next,” Scopp said.
Later, the hijackers looked for a spot to drop the pair off and opted to free their hostages near a police station.
“They said if we were dropped anywhere else, people would beat us to death because we were white,” Scopp said. “They also told us to be mindful what we say to the police, because they have people on the inside.”
You are being watched
Van Heerden also warned that criminals often do surveillance on potential victims first.
“Criminals observe their victims, and when you have a set routine, you become an easy target. If you leave for work at the same time every day or park in the same spot, for example, you make yourself predictable,” he said.
Scopp said that in hindsight she recalled the small, yellow e-hailing vehicle parked outside her home for several days’ prior.
“It was not an issue for me at the time, but thinking about it now, the driver must have been watching our movements,” she said.
Van Heerden said that trusting your instincts is important. “If something doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not,” he said.
A week later, Scopp is still processing the experience.
“I’m okay, but it’s not easy. I’m triggered by certain cars, those yellow e-hail small cars, certain sounds, they bring it all back,” she admitted. “I never thought something like this would happen to me. It escalated so quickly. Now, I understand how important it is to be aware of everything around you.”
