Police in the Moot have warned about identity document fraud following the arrest of a 35-year-old woman from Yeoville.
Moot police spokesperson, Captain Anton Breedt, said the woman was arrested in connection with R 6000 fraud.
“The arrest was made after the suspect used a fraudulent clothing retail store card and identity document to buy two cell phones and stationery,” Breedt said.
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“During the transaction the sales consultant noticed that the suspect was becoming nervous and acting suspiciously.”
Breedt said that certain information on the document did not correspond with the applicant.
“He then made a phone call to his head office to get authorisation on the transaction. To his surprise he traced the real owner of the account and identity document only to find she had not authorised any purchases on her account,” Breedt said.
“When the suspect noticed that she might be caught out she tried to flee the shop, but was arrested.”
Police also confiscated several used cell phone starter pack cards that were in possession of the suspect.
Breedt said that the suspect will appear in court soon.
He urged retailers to improve their security and to train shop assistants to detect this sort of crimes.
The Moot police offered safety tips to the businesses and cell phone retailers:
– Always compare the identity document photo with the person in front of you.
– Look at the print on the document, any defects can be indication that the document had been tampered with.
– Compare the date of birth with the looks of the person in front of you.
– Ask the person to repeat their date of birth or identity document number without looking at the identity document.
– Look for the original RSA watermark imprinted on the pages of the document.
– Check that the plastic tape covering the identity document photo is not tampered with.
– When sales of a large amount is made, always confirm the legality of the sale.
The acting Station Commander for Pretoria Moot police station, Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Nekhumbe urged the business community to join hands with Moot police in the fight against fraud and scams taking place at businesses.
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“Always be wary of suspicious persons at shopping complexes and do not fall victim to such scams. Assist the Moot police in the fight against this sort of crimes by reporting any suspicious persons or vehicles,” he said.
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