Crime awareness tips
Keep safe this festive season at ATMs and on the roads.
Honeydew SAPS spokesperson Warrant Officer Karen Jacobs warned community members against ATM scams and smash and grabs.
ATM and card fraud
• Always protect your pin at ATMs
• Be vigilant – carefully scan the area for suspicious characters
• Do not be fooled by people who are well-dressed and eloquent
• Fraudsters often pose as custodians of the bank
• Emphatically refuse any assistance offered by any person
• Do not allow people to look over your shoulder or press any of the keyboard keys of the ATM while you are busy
• If you are remotely suspicious, postpone using the ATM until it is safe to do so
• If you suspect your card has been compromised, cancel it immediately
• Check the machine for any attachments, often crooks would position skimming devices or pin-size cameras at the ATM to obtain your details
• If your card is not returned, check the ATM slot for a strip of x-ray material which is glued inside with the intention of “trapping” your card
• Do not allow your card to be swiped through any device.
Smash and grab
• Keep all the windows in your vehicle closed, and the doors locked while stationary at an intersection
• Keep valuable items out of sight
• Be constantly on the lookout for suspicious characters
• Be wary of people standing at intersections
• Never open your window to anyone
• Leave a space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you – it gives you space to move should you feel threatened
• Don’t talk on your cell phone – if you are distracted you can be seen as a potentially easy target.
Details: Honeydew SAPS, 011 801 8604.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at northsider@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites
