Platform1 is a leading provider of License Plate Recognition (LPR) software, focused solely on fighting serious and violent crime in South Africa. In our experience, the festive season and Summer months are peak times for opportunistic criminals who target people on the move, on holiday, visiting our country and otherwise less guarded. Cell phones, laptops and cash are top of their holiday ‘shopping list’.
Here we reveal some common tactics used by criminals to get hold of your possessions. Knowledge and preparedness will help you stay safe and have an enjoyable Summer holiday.
Remote Jamming:
Remote jamming is a subtle, tech savvy way for thieves to gain access to your vehicle and steal what’s inside. These offenders usually target victims at parking lots, shopping malls, schools and other busy centers. Typically the offender sits in their own car, watches potential victims and waits until the victim exits their car, often seeing them put laptops or other items into the boot of the vehicle. As the victim attempts to lock their vehicle by pressing the lock button on their key, the offender presses a button on a remote jamming device which prevents the central locking system from working. The victim walks away from their vehicle thinking it’s locked and secure, while the offender gains access to the vehicle and its contents.
During the festive season, petrol stations on national roads can be an attractive target as travelers pull over to fill up and stretch their legs while leaving luggage and valuables in the boot. Beach parking lots as well as busy shopping malls are also key targets. You can mitigate this risk by always checking that your car doors are locked before walking away from your vehicle.
Victims of this crime often make a number of stops on their trip and may only discover upon arrival at home that their property is missing. This makes it hard to track down the scene of the crime and can cause frustration when attempting to report a case to the South African Police Service (SAPS). Insurance companies scrutinise such cases where there is no visible sign of forced entry. CCTV is often the only way to prove that such a crime has taken place. Always take a few seconds to ensure your vehicle is indeed locked when leaving and you could save yourself a big headache.
Theft at Beaches:
Offenders usually identify a target and observe that person for some time. They watch where the victim places his or her valuables such as wallets, phones and car keys. They wait for the right moment to strike which happens in a matter of seconds during a brief distraction. Eventually the victim comes to realise that their valuables have been stolen – often their vehicle too. Be mindful of your surroundings, even when relaxing and ensure that valuables are protected. Beaches attract a wide variety of people and opportunists take advantage knowing that people either leave their valuables on the beach or in their parked vehicles. It is very important that victims of a motor vehicle theft, where the suspects are in possession of the vehicle keys, highlight that fact to SAPS when reporting the crime.
ATM Scamming:
This crime typically involves offenders hanging around ATMs and scouting for vulnerable targets – particularly foreign visitors and pensioners. At this time of year people are drawing more cash from ATMs and are caught up in the hustle and bustle of busy retail areas.
No-one should be watching you approach an ATM. Should someone offer to help you or try to explain that something is not working with the machine, do not let them get within reaching distance of your ATM card. Cancel your transaction and leave. There are a multitude of tricks and these criminals are smooth operators. The vast majority of victims give in to their tactics and fail to realise what is happening until it is too late.
The criminals know that it can take time for the victim to stop cards and are often able to get away with thousands in cash before a stop is ordered. Be vigilant around ATMs and do not use one if there are people loitering or watching you.
Card based crime is not only limited to ATMs. In Cape Town’s high season, criminals armed with card machines manage to convince tourists that they need to tap their cards to pay a fee to walk the streets or come up with other inventive stories. Many tourists fall for these tricks and end up losing significant sums of money as their card details get cloned. Please report any suspicious persons seen with card readers who are not uniformed, appointed parking attendants to the SAPS.
The Bigger Picture
These types of offenders will target multiple victims in a single day, making it critical to report incidents promptly. Suspect vehicles can be added to the LPR database, enabling swift action to recover stolen property or prevent further crimes. Even if victims can’t recall a number plate, details like time, location, and vehicle description are invaluable for identifying suspects.
Crime-fighting is a daunting task, but the successes we have seen at Platform1 are tangible and widely felt. Progress can only be made when citizens, private entities and law enforcement agencies work together. The first critical step in this process is that all criminal incidents need to be reported to the SAPS and a case number obtained.
We wish you a happy and safe festive season!