December is here, which means it is stokvel season for many savings clubs in Newcastle.

It is also the time of year when stokvel members are most vulnerable.

After setting aside their hard-earned money throughout the year, members look forward to buying groceries or Christmas gifts they might not otherwise afford.

Criminals know this too, and many lie in wait for unsuspecting victims.

If you are a member of a cash savings club, it is important to encourage fellow members to follow simple safety measures.

These steps can help prevent the club from becoming a target for cash-related robberies.

Newcastle SAPS Communications Officer, Lizzy Arumugam has provided some safety precautions to safeguard your stokvel money.

These steps can help prevent the club from becoming a target:

• Avoid high-risk days: Do not deposit members’ cash contributions on days that criminals commonly target, such as the Monday after month end.
• Do not deposit or withdraw alone: Anyone who deposits or withdraws the club’s money should be accompanied by another member.
• Use direct deposits: A stokvel, savings club or burial society can ask members to pay their contributions directly into the club’s bank account instead of handing over cash.
• Use electronic pay-outs: Arrange for the club’s pay-out to be transferred electronically into each member’s personal bank account, or any account they nominate.

Cybercrimes continue to grow at a rapid pace, with criminals increasingly exploiting the speed, convenience and anonymity of the internet.

These offences cross both physical and virtual borders and affect communities everywhere.

Arumugam urges online shoppers to always remain vigilant when shopping online.

Top 10 cybercrime prevention tips:

• Use strong passwords: Create different user ID and password combinations for each account. Use at least ten characters, mixing letters, numbers and special symbols. Avoid writing passwords down and change them regularly.
• Secure your computer: Keep your software and operating system updated to reduce security risks.
• Activate your firewall: Firewalls form the first line of defence by blocking suspicious connections and reducing the risk of hacking.
• Use anti-virus and anti-malware software: Install reputable security software and update it regularly to protect your device from infection.
• Block spyware attacks: Use anti-spyware tools and avoid clicking on suspicious links, pop-ups or downloads.

The news provided to you in this link has been investigated and compiled by the editorial staff of the Newcastle Advertiser, a sold newspaper distributed in the Newcastle area. Please follow us on Youtube and feel free to like, comment, and subscribe. For more local news, visit our webpage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and follow us on our WhatsApp Channel