SA Fraud Prevention Services have warned South Africans to take special care of their identity documents as crime syndicates could use stolen IDs to buy vehicles.
SA Fraud Prevention Services have warned South Africans to take special care of their identity documents as crime syndicates could use stolen IDs to buy vehicles.
Nedcor fraud prevention unit head Nick Jacobs told that criminals stole identity documents and removed the photographs and replaced them with a fake one. They then used these documents to buy vehicles.
Jacobs said the syndicates were using more sophisticated methods to con authorities. He said they even created false credit records or set up a false business to convince dealers they were authentic.
Jacobs said that vehicle dealerships were targeted because cars were high-value assets and could be moved out of the country easily. He said the syndicates usually focused on top luxury vehicles.
A bank official also told that the syndicates preferred to use the documentation of people with little or no credit records as they could create a background more easily.
Jacobs said dealers were being trained to look out for false documents.
The newspaper said SA Fraud Prevention Services was established to stop fraud and had all the leading retailers and banking groups as members. They exchange information on fraud activities.
