Fraudulent activities rise as the end of the year nears (and new trends emerge)

With less than two months to go to the Festive Season, the seasonal spike in criminal activities is in full swing. Fraudulent activities also rise at this time of year, warns Beagle Watch Armed Response, one of the leading private security providers in Gauteng.

According to André Aiton, Beagle Watch’s Managing Director, in some parts of the company’s footprint, such as the West Rand in Johannesburg, a new trend has emerged.

“Criminals target victims, often women or more senior citizens, and follow them home from fuel stations,” he says. “They then return the next day pretending to be staff at the fuel station and allege there was a short payment or some kind of ‘problem’ with the transaction.”

According to Aiton, their stories could sound credible to the gullible, as they have important details, such as that of the victim’s vehicle and the time of the visit and at which service station it was.

“They watch and follow their victims and gather as much information as possible before they return,” warns Aiton. “Unfortunately these criminals tend to target more senior citizens and other potentially vulnerable victims.”

Beagle Watch offers a few safety tips.

• ​Always be aware of your surroundings.
• Take a good look at any vehicles that are driving behind you, or anyone displaying potentially suspicious behaviour.
• Drive around the block if you are in doubt.
• Report suspicious behaviour by phoning your security provider’s Call Centre - please do not use social media groups or Facebook for this purpose.
• If you feel unsafe, phone your security provider and ask for an Officer to stand off when you return home.
• Trust no one and do trust your gut.
• Always verify any caller or visitor's identity and double-check any claims made.
• Rather be safe than sorry.

About Beagle Watch Armed Response

Beagle Watch Armed Response is a leading private security, armed response and guarding company in Johannesburg. It is the company’s mission to offer superior client service and best-in-class response times. When lives matter, seconds count. Beagle Watch is wholly-owned by Prosegur and operates within an extended footprint in the greater Johannesburg area.