SA warned over frightening crime tactic including kidnappings
This new crime tactic has seen a sharp increase in recent times.
Criminals in South Africa are increasingly using the “express kidnappings” tactic to empty victims’ bank accounts via their banking apps.
Security experts have warned residents about the disturbing trend, where victims are kidnapped during hijackings or robberies and then forced to unlock their phones and banking apps.
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) says these incidents are becoming a common occurrence across the country.
While many of these crimes are opportunistic, others are carefully planned.
Victims are often chosen because they appear to have money.
“Depending on the group’s sophistication, this can range from a couple of thousand rand to millions,” the ISS noted.
According to BusinessTech, these abductions often happen during normal daily activities, such as your morning commute, a quick grocery run, or just as you arrive home.
The latest SAPS crime statistics show that nearly 4,800 kidnappings were reported between October and December last year.
That is roughly 53 kidnappings every single day.
Gauteng remains the hardest-hit province, accounting for more than half of all reported cases.
Who is being targeted?
Ruan Vermaak, communications manager at CrisisOnCall, says the threat is growing and targets a wide range of people.
He warns that criminals look for specific markers, such as:
- People in well-paying jobs
- Drivers of high-end vehicles
- Those with predictable daily routines
Vermaak points out that many of these incidents happen in everyday locations where people are often distracted.
“They will kidnap victims while they are stopped at a boom gate, at a security complex, or even in a shopping mall parking area,” he said.
“This happens especially while they are packing groceries into the back of their vehicle. There have been a few cases like this reported at various shopping centres across Gauteng.”
Different tactics
While some of these crimes are opportunistic, for example, when people are going about their daily routines, others are more carefully planned.
Reports have also emerged of criminals using Facebook Marketplace as a platform to target victims.
Criminals pretend to buy or sell items, and once they meet unsuspecting victims, usually in isolated areas, they kidnap them and force them to withdraw funds.
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