Operation SHIVER, conducted by SAPS and EMPD with assistance from the CSF on the evening of 16 May in Actonville and Benoni, was a huge success. Rex Hotel, Moon, Bimbos, Basils and Kimbolton/Kempston were raided. 37 taxis were impounded, 2 unroadworthy vehicles were written off, 6 drunk drivers and 65 foreign nationals were arrested. Several traffic fines were also levied in a roadblock in Styx Road. Congratulations to all involved on a job well done!

CHECK LIST – DRIVERS LICENCE

Visual Check

• Compare the photograph on the Drivers license with the actual person.

• Check the thickness of Drivers License.

• Check the rectangular indent on reverse side, above the fingerprint.

• Check that the corners of the Drivers License and edges of the lamination are smooth and round.

• Compare the signature on Drivers License with signature on available documentation.

Use of Forge Detector

• Check for the Protea-watermarks above thumb print.

• Check the UV colouring of Proteas on reverse side.

• Check that the security lines are running through the photograph.

• Check the print on pages 1 & 4 for inconsistencies in font, broken lettering or print density.

• Check chevron patterns, starting with bold red on the left-hand side fading towards the right-hand side.

CHECK LIST – ID DOCUMENTS

Visual Check

• Compare the photograph in the ID document with the actual person.

• Compare the ID photo with the photo of the Drivers License.

• Check the 11^th and 12^th digits of the ID number for citizenship:

08: South African or

18: Non South African

• Compare with detail underneath barcode

Check digits 7 – 10 of the ID number (indicating the sex: Male or female):

1 – 4999: Female

5000 + : Male

• Check alignment of words and letters in horizontal and vertical aspects.

Use of Forge Detector

• Check the print on pages 1 and 4 for inconsistencies in font, broken lettering or print density.

• Check for glue marks around the edges of the photograph.

• In the event of photograph being lifted, verify the date of birth under the photograph with the ID number.

• Check for signs of damage to background printing or paper.

• Check for triangular watermarks on every page.

There is apparently another SARS E-Filing scam doing the rounds. Targets receive an email from “refund@sars.gov.za” or similar, with the subject line “Tax Refund”. They are directed to a website similar in appearance to SARS’ E-Filing site (as depicted below) and prompted to enter their bank details. This website can quite easily be identified as a fake. Read more on how to identify hoax websites and phishing scams and learn to protect yourself from these criminals.

Note that you should never provide your banking or credit card details unless you are 100% certain it is legitimate and secure. Under no circumstances should you ever have to provide a pin for your card or account.

To ensure your alarm will work when you need it, it should be tested monthly. The steps are simple:

• Phone the control room to let them know you will be testing your alarm
• Turn off your electricity mains (to ensure the battery backup works)
• Hold the panic button for 3 seconds (just pushing it won't set it off)
• Confirm with the control room that they received notification of the loss of power and the panic button.
• Turn your mains back on.

1. Securing your belongs

• When shopping do not leave your bag or valuables (eg Cell phones) unattended.

  • Do not leave these possessions in your trolley while shopping

  • When trying on clothes make sure your belongs are secure

  • Do not leave valuables such as cell phone or laptops in plain view in your motor vehicle when the vehicle is unattended

  • Ensure that you have control over your bag and valuables at all times and when paying for goods or processing money at a bank make sure that you do not place your bag on a counter and leave it unattended. Be aware of strangers who may try to distract you.

2. Be alert when drawing money

• When drawing money from ATMs:

  • Scan the area for suspicious activity/people before approaching the ATM

  • Remain aware of your surroundings and do not allow anyone to distract you while doing your transactions.

  • Use ATM’s that you are familiar with and that are situated in well lit areas, where you are visible and safe.

  • Have your card ready in your hand before you approach the ATM to avoid opening your handbag/purse/wallet while waiting in the queue.

  • Be cautious of strangers trying to help you as they could be trying to distract you to get you card or pin details.

  • Don t force your card into the slot as it might have been tampered with.

• When drawing large amounts of money from the bank

  • Make sure you have made security arrangements

  • Be aware of suspicious people/vehicles while en-route

  • Do not advertise that you are going to the bank

3. Protect your information

• Protect your ATM Pin number

• Do not use guessable pin numbers such as your birth date, and change it often.

• Lock all doors and close window when leaving your home unattended (even if you leave for only a short while)

• Do not hide keys under the door mat, in flower pots or any other place where the keys could be found by criminals

• Ensure your windows have burglar guards to prevent access

• Do not leave notes outside your house announcing your absence from the house

• Leave a radio on and a light on at night to give an “at home” appearance. Don’t leave an outside lamp burning through the day as this is a clear sign that no one is home

• Cancel all deliveries (such as newspapers) while you are away If this is not possible asks a trusted neighbor to collect these deliveries.

• Changes the locks on your house if you keys have been stolen or lost

• Ask a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on your house while you are away. You should supply this neighbor with a number they can contact you on while you are away

• When you are at home never listen to music, watch TV or entertain visitors with the doors to you house open or unlocked.

• Never leave the key in the inside of an outer door which has a glass panel or or window near the door.

• Don’t keep large amounts of cash at your house

• Ensure your house’s street number is clearly marked on you fence, wall or gate so that it can be easily seen by any emergency service or police personnel

• Store emergency contact numbers in your phone and label them clearly to allow fast dialing in an emergency

• Never give the impression you are at home alone if a stranger telephones you or comes to your door

• It is your right to see the identification cards of caller who claim to be from government, municipal officials or even SAPS members. Even if they are in uniform ask to see their identity documents/cards and insist on this. If they fail to comply ask them to leave your premises immediately and report the matter to the SAPS

• Get to know your neighbors

• If you come home and find a door or window open or signs of forced entry, don’t go into the house. Go to the nearest phone and call the police

Remember call 10111 in case of an emegency

The following information was supplied by the Linden CPF:

The following vehicle "Look Outs" have been issued by Linden SAPS - 17
September 2008:
VEHICLE LOOK OUTS
1) White VW Golf and/or White Mazda Etude. Registration number PNV268GP
or MYB757GP or VDK...GP. Involved in business and residential robberies:
1, 2 or 3 black male occupants. Occupants are armed.

2) Light coloured (light grey, off-white or silver) Opel Kadet.
Registration number of KDX995GP involved in car jackings - - false
plates.

3) Brown / Gold 1980 Mercedes Benz driven by one Indian man, carrying a
suit case inside his car with sweets inside - - moving around schools.

Residents, schools and businesses are urged to be cautious and not take
chances.

GENERAL
4) Criminals CONTINUE to making use of state and municipal vehicles and
uniforms to gain illegal access to properties. These include City Power,
City of Joburg (Valuation, Rates and Taxes) and even Roads Agency
vehicles and uniforms.

Should your property be approached and they are suspicious. Please call
10111.
It is no use going inside to call or check, establish that they are
suspicious and then go back outside again. During the time you are
inside, they most likely will have gained access to your property.
Please inform your domestic workers. These incidents take place during
the day.

The information has been supplied by Linden SAPS and is issued by the
Linden Community Police Forum as a public awareness service to
residents, businesses and schools in the Linden Precinct.

Dear friends..

I would like to share a something with all of you..so that you are more aware of your domestic workers.

Last Friday, (25.07.08) my maid forgot her cell phone at my house. I decided to have a look at the phone...

I found that she has video clips of all the houses that she works at incl. mine. She filmed everything. From room to room, making specific notice to appliances, the TV's, dvd's, sound systems etc.

I was very shocked and surprised to see this. I then went thru the rest of her phone...and found sms confirmations of huge sums of monies being deposited into her account twice in this month.(more than double my salary). What is a domestic worker doing with that amount of money? Cos' the money I pay her is peanuts compared to that.

Our first thoughts were that she probably gets paid for assisting burglars. It is purely murphy's law that she forgot her phone, because my place was filmed on Friday the 25 of July, while I was at work.

So, I don't know what she has been planning and for when, but I am so glad that we found this now.

She also took pictures of our pictures that we have on the fridge and in frames on the walls etc. as well as the intercom behind the door. This I find very strange and suspicious.

She phoned me frantically later that night to tell me to switch her phone off. I have not asked her anything yet.

I have in fact sent the video clips to my phone for proof if we may need it. But I have since changed the locks on my doors and I have asked her to come to my place on Saturday instead of during the week. We plan on confronting her first and then dismissing her.

Another thing I would like to mention is that normally when I talk to her, she has this thing that she can not talk english very well...but on the video clip her english is very good and even her tone of voice is different.

Q. 1: Are most cars hijacked on order by syndicates?
Answer: Yes, I would get a phone call to deliver a certain type of car by a
certain deadline, and then we'd go out and search for one. If they needed it
quickly, I would hijack. If I had a bit more time I'd steal a parked car, as
it was safer.

Q. 2: Which types of vehicles are the most popular amongst hijackers?
Answer: We would get orders to steal just about anything. Double-cab
bakkies, any make, were in very high demand. Also, "G-strings" (BMW
3-series), Polo's, Mercedes and Toyotas. I'd get paid a lot more for a
double-cab, around R16 000, but only about R500 to R6 000 for a car. If it
was an expensive car like the "Anaconda" (BMW 7-series) I could get about 15
grand, though.

Q. 3: Which cars have the lowest hijack risk?
Answer: There's no such thing. There's a demand for all sorts of cars, old
and new. If the vehicle isn't sold then it's stripped for spares. The only
thing there isn't really an interest in is expensive exotics. I once stole a
Ferrari from a garage just for fun, drove it around for a while and then
left it back at the garage.

Q. 4: Do most of the cars that aren't stripped end up beyond our borders?
Answer: No, a lot stay in the country. They are given new identities,
re-registered and sold here.

Q. 5: How effective are modern anti-theft and tracking systems?
Answer: When I was stealing cars three years ago, most of them were a joke.
I could break into almost any car and drive it away within minutes. Some
cars were very advanced and a lot of work to steal though, like Volvos. With
tracking systems, it was usually very easy to find where the device was
hidden. While one guy drove the car, his accomplices would strip the
interior looking for the tracker's hiding place. Then sometimes we'd place
the tracking unit into a taxi and trick the police and the helicopters into
following the taxi. Nowadays the tracking systems are getting a lot better
though, with quicker response times, and towards the end I nearly got caught
a couple of times.

Q. 6: How did you learn how to override these high-tech systems?
Answer: Experience, and learning from other car thieves. We all shared
information. If I was having difficulty with a particular car, sometimes I'd
dress up nicely and go to a dealer posing as a customer. I'd ask the
salesman how good the anti-theft system was on that car and he would give me
all the details.

Q. 7: What was your hijacking modus operandi?
Answer: We would get people in their driveways, on the way to work or on
their way home. Rainy weather is the best time to steal cars. When it's
raining it makes it more difficult for the tracking helicopters to find you.

Q. 8: In a hijacking did you normally go for soft targets like women?
Answer: No, I could take on anyone. I was a professional. Some people wore
guns but never got a chance to use them as I was too fast. I'd stick my gun
right in their faces and they wouldn't give me any trouble. That's why I
never shot or hurt anyone; I was against that. A friend of mine sometimes
shot people he hijacked and he used to wake up with nightmares.

Q. 9: Which area s did you target?
Answer: Any white suburb, it didn't matter. I never stole in the townships
because people were poor there. I also didn't rob black people.

Q 10: Is that because you don't like whites?
Answer: No, it's because darkies are dangerous. If you rob them, they go to
a sangoma who would "take care" of you.

Q. 11: How much money did you make?
Answer: A lot, but I wasted it all. It was easy come, easy go. Some money
would go to police and judges and prison officials in bribes. I got caught a
few times but was never convicted. Bribing a police officer to lose a docket
cost about R2 000 to R5 000. The only time I spent in jail was awaiting
trial. Then I'd bribe the prison guard to help me escape.

Q. 12: Is this the norm, or were you lucky?
Answer: I knew how to find the loopholes and beat the system. Some of my
friends were caught and convicted to 8 or 12 years or more.

Q. 13: What made you stop crime?
Answer: I saw I had nothing to show for all those years. I felt guilty for
what I'd done and wanted to achieve something in my life. That's why I do
community work persuading other people not to do crime, and I ' m also a
fashion designer. I ' m struggling with money now. My sewing machine broke
and I can't afford to fix it, but I won't go back to crime. That life is a
stupid life.

Q. 14: What is your advice to motorists to avoid hijacking?
Answer: Look out for people following you. Some hijackers spot a car they
want and follow the person home. Be aware. If you're suspicious, make a few
false turns and see if that car is still behind you. If it is, drive to a
police station.