Cape Town - Cyber crime, Airbnb scams, which has reached over 41% in fake listings, hijacking trends and banking fraud are what seasoned experts are warning the public to be aware of this festive season, as AI sweeps across the country and world.
Cyber Crime is said to be the biggest and fastest growing non-violent crime in the world and will surpass any other form of crime in the future.
Mike Bolhuis, specialist Investigator into serious violent, serious economic crimes and serious cybercrimes said South Africans seeking for a perfect holiday getaway, could be scammed and defrauded as online bookings continue to become popular.
He explained that South African statistics showed fraudulent activity, including fake listings, bait-and-switch tactics, and phishing schemes was growing in the country.
He said the popularity of Airbnb has been rising, contributing significantly to local economies and by 2016 alone, Airbnb hosts and guests generated approximately R2.4 billion in economic activity.
An international and global report from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the University of Colorado Springs revealed that, between 2015 and 2020, over 28,000 complaints about Airbnb scams were made on Twitter, among these, 41% involved multiple fake listings, 26% described rentals that didn’t match their descriptions, and 20% involved hacked accounts.
“Many South Africans are searching for affordable, last-minute holiday deals,” said Bolhuis.
“Platforms like Airbnb offer convenient and cost-effective options for finding accommodation. However, with the rising popularity of online booking platforms, the risks of scams have also increased. Identifying the warning signs of scams is essential to safeguard your finances and personal information.
“There are no comprehensive South African-specific statistics on how many people have been scammed via Airbnb or the total amount lost in such scams. Most available data focuses on the global scope of Airbnb-related fraud and its economic impact.
“These statistics highlight the importance of vigilance when booking through online platforms. If a listing seems unusually cheap or offers unbelievable perks, it might be too good to be true.
“Use tools like reverse image searches to check if the property photos appear elsewhere online.
“Scammers often use stock images or stolen photos to create fake listings.
“Paying slightly more for a verified property is far better than losing money or compromising your personal information.”
A concerned Bolhuis said the public had to educate themselves by protecting their identities and safeguarding their personal information on social media and their cellphones.
“A lot of sextortion and extortion, identity theft and sweet heart scams, puppy scams are doing the rounds,” he added.
“Facebook market scams, buying and selling which is under the umbrella of Cyber crime. Know your cellphone and laptop like the palm of your hand. Do not open any links unless you know what it is.
“Do not leave your cellphone lying around this festive season as someone can clone your phone.”
Trish Armstrong, a forensic criminologist and profiler told Weekend Argus that criminals would continue to target motorists this festive season for their vehicles and were becoming smarter by creating gadgets to make you stop or cause an accident.
“Spikes in the road is not as common in Cape Town as in Gauteng where spikes are placed in the road every night,” she said.
“The flat tyre prevents the car from moving and the people are car jacked.
“If you do drive over a spike, try and continue to drive. It will be extremely difficult as the tyre disintegrates.
“Your rim will be completely destroyed but continue to drive for at least 2 to 3 kilometres or to a safe place.
“A person lying in the road as if injured. Stop only if you are not alone and in a well-lit area with lots of other people.
“Flashing lights, often showing you that there is something wrong with your car.
“ Drive to a filling station. Filling stations have CCTV cameras – specially just outside the shops.
“Park there and then assess if there are any problems.
“The highest two risks, people getting boxed in in their driveways, people being preoccupied, usually on cell phones at traffic lights , unaware of their surroundings.”
Redaa Ameeroedien of the Schaapkraal Safety Forum also warned public about a new syndicate along Strandfontein Road, Lotus River where a gang of robbers used industrial rope to cause accidents while the accomplices hide inside a trench.
The police’s Sergeant Wesley Twigg said they were aware of the incident but that no arrests were made.
Ameeroedien said they were keen to determine where the robbers had acquired the specialised rope.
“They are targeting motorbikes which have persons who are doing deliveries,” he said.
“The one would hold the rope and tie it against a light pole while the other hides away in a ditch or trench and we are asking people to be vigilant especially during the early hours of the morning.
The South African Banking Risk Information Centre also warned the public to be wary when using their online banking platforms.
“Always use the payment gateway provided by the site you are shopping on, and don’t be conned into making a payment outside of the site,” they advised.
“Protect yourself against fraud by registering for additional security that sends a One-Time PIN (OTP) to your phone when making a payment.
“Don’t read back OTP’s you receive to anyone over the phone regardless of who they say they are.”