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Kidnapped, Pressured and Drained: A New Banking App Threat in South Africa
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2 hrs agoCriminals in South Africa are evolving their tactics — moving beyond simple theft to targeting people’s banking apps on mobile phones during violent abductions. According to recent reports, offenders are increasingly engaging in what security experts call “express kidnappings”, where victims are snatched, forced to unlock their phones, and then pressured to access their mobile banking apps and drain their funds.
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) notes this trend is growing, with attackers often acting opportunistically — spotting a victim with a phone and quickly forcing them to surrender access. In other cases, criminals choose targets they believe have significant financial means. Once in control, perpetrators can transfer funds from a few thousand rand to potentially millions.
These attacks often happen during everyday activities — at shopping mall parking lots, at boom gates, or while victims are loading groceries — making them especially unsettling. Sometimes, once the thieves have emptied accounts, they abandon the victim and steal the vehicle.
This disturbing trend is part of a broader rise in smartphone theft and digital banking fraud in South Africa. Fraud statistics show a sharp jump in digital banking complaints, especially involving virtual cards, and authorities warn that criminals are increasingly targeting mobile devices as gateways to financial theft.