EDITORIAL | Kidnapping to sidestep enhanced banking security must be stamped out

The spate of kidnappings for ransom shows no sign of abating and disturbingly there is evidence of some victims being snatched to circumvent sophisticated layers of security meant to prevent crime.

It's an alarming trend that must be tackled head-on by crime intelligence and police, and one we need to beware.

The National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO), which investigates consumer complaints against banks, recently confirmed receiving complaints relating to kidnappings in which consumers were forced to disclose their confidential banking information under threat of violence. This enabled criminals to access online and banking app passwords or bypass biometric security features on cellphones.

The NFO said a panel discussion about the trend “focused on incidents such as kidnappings and how digitisation has facilitated easier access to banking consumers’ funds for criminals.

“A possible reason fraudsters are turning to this new modus operandi is that banks have implemented various layers of security on their online platforms. These measures are making it increasingly challenging for fraudsters to easily obtain confidential banking information from banking customers.”

In addition to the trauma of being kidnapped, there is no guarantee of a bank refund. Each case is decided on its own merits.

The scheme cited a recent investigation where a complainant was kidnapped and forced to disclose their online banking credentials, resulting in the loss of R103,092. The bank’s fraud monitoring system flagged the activity and contacted the complainant who (under duress) confirmed the “validity” of the payments.

After being released the victim reported the incident to their bank and sought a full refund, but this was rejected on the grounds the complainant had disclosed their confidential banking information to a third party. As a gesture of goodwill the bank refunded a portion of the stolen money.

Mchunu said steps would be taken to strengthen crime intelligence and the detective division — a decision we applaud

Police, law enforcement authorities, security companies and private investigators must be commended for working tirelessly to rescue scores of kidnapping victims across South Africa. But crime intelligence, in particular, needs to be bolstered with capable operatives to crack kidnapping syndicates.

Earlier this month, the Sunday Times revealed that crime intelligence, a vital tool in the policing arsenal, was dysfunctional and divided, which is cause for concern. Police minister Senzo Mchunu, releasing crime statistics for the first quarter of 2024, said: “We have been reading about kidnappings and extortion cases in the media; 135 cases of kidnapping for ransom were recorded in the first quarter, with Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal accounting for 81 and 15 cases respectively... We are confronted with a crisis that threatens the safety of our communities and undermines the stability of our nation.”

Mchunu said steps would be taken to strengthen crime intelligence and the detective division — a decision we applaud.

Just this week kidnappers made a ransom demand for tourist Alize van der Merwe from Cape Town, who was abducted while driving to a resort at Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape.

Enough is enough. We must tackle this scourge head-on or descend into the depths of a gangster state.