Getrude Makhafola

Getrude Makhafola

South Africa is experiencing a rise in fraud, robberies and commercial crimes.

This was said by the SAPS' crime intelligence unit.

Spokesman Senior Superintendent Tumi Golding said the country had of late been experiencing more such crimes.

The "boom" in cash-in-transit heists and ATM bombings seemed to have subsided. Though there are still reports of such crimes, they now occur on a smaller scale.

"We are seeing a rise in commercial crimes such as fraud, especially the transfer of funds and identity theft.

"Robberies with aggravating circumstances are also on the forefront," Golding said.

A report released by the South African Banking Risk Information Centre last month says credit card fraud had more than doubled last year, resulting in a loss of more than R420million.

Many of these were a result of the skimming of cards. Identity theft, which includes credit card fraud, has also increased.

"We have been successful in busting card syndicates and will continue to fight this scourge," said Golding.