The arrests by the Hawks last months of two Goodwood call-centre agents suspected of working with a credit-card-fraud syndicate will have many rushing to check their credit-card statements.
Provincial Hawks spokesman Captain Philani Nkwalase said the agents, aged 23 and 29, worked for a reputable Financial Service Credit Provider in Goodwood.
They were arrested on Wednesday April 17.
“It is alleged that the pair supplied card holder’s information to a syndicate. Counterfeit cards were then allegedly manufactured by the syndicate and used for illegal purchases,” said Captain Nkwalase.
Eight card holders had lost more than R95 000 from Friday March 1 to Tuesday April 9, he said.
“These two call centre agents allegedly gained access to card holder’s information while dealing with customer’s queries and requests,” he said.
The pair appeared in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday April 23.
Captain Nkwalase said the accused had been released on R500 bail.
Tthe case was postponed until Tuesday June 18 for further investigation.
Kalyani Pillay CEO of the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) urged credit card holders urged consumers to review their account statements on a timely basis and query disputed transactions with their banks immediately.
“When shopping online, only place orders with your card on a secure website.Do not send emails that quote your card number and expiry date. Ensure that you get your own card back after every purchase. Never write down your PIN or disclose it to anyone. Report lost and stolen cards immediately. Destroy your credit card receipts before discarding them.”