Hundreds of South Africans are at risk of having their bank accounts cleaned out after the hijacking of a courier van and theft of visa applications for the UK. The Southern African Fraud Prevention Service warned of the risk after men posing as metro police yesterday robbed a courier vehicle east of Johannesburg.The driver was coming from the company that facilitates visa applications for the UK High Commission.The heavily armed gang blocked his vehicle, forcing it to a stop, in Meadowdale.Police spokesman Colonel Lungelo Dlamini confirmed the hijacking and said the driver had allegedly not known what he was transporting."Three men, one of whom was wearing a metro police uniform, forced him from the vehicle before driving off. The vehicle was recovered in Kempton Park."Dlamini said no arrests had been made.A police source said it was clear that someone had known exactly what was being transported."Information like this is gold to criminals, especially those involved in identity fraud."Carol McCloughlin, executive director of the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service, said if the hijackers' target was the passports and financial documents, the impact would be immense."These criminals have been handed a potential blank cheque. The potential risk is devastating especially as they can use passports and other identity documents to gain access to and fleece bank accounts."Not only can they gain access to bank accounts, but they can use these identity documents to commit a range of fraud. They will have unlimited access to passports, birth certificates and other highly personal and confidential information.'' Isabel Potgieter, spokesman for the British High Commission, said the safety and protection of personal data of visa applicants was paramount."Those affected are being contacted directly and UK visa and immigration officials are working closely with our visa service provider, Teleperformance, to ensure that the customers are supported. We are working with police on this matter."..