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Cape Town - Crimes like fraud and credit card theft in shopping centres are likely to increase during the World Cup, the SA Council of Shopping Centres (SACSC) said on Monday.
The council's shopping centre security initiative project manager Selma Black said as the number of shoppers in the country's shopping centres were expected to increase, fraudsters were out looking to take advantage of the increase in trade.
"As shopper numbers increase, so does the likelihood of fraudulent activity, including credit card, travellers cheque and identity fraud," Black said in a statement.
"These types of fraud can be prevented if more retailers have effective procedures in place, and if they know what to look for and what steps to take if a transaction is suspicious.
Black said the SACSC would provide an operations and information hub at a dedicated Shopping Centre Security Initiative Office to help prevent these types of crimes.
"Working closely with the SA Police (Service) and a number of organising committees affiliated to the World Cup, SACSC had, since December 2009, established a strong network of contacts and partnerships to support the effort," Black said.
The SACSC security preparations and precautions went beyond guards, patrols and CCTV and shopper security, Black said.
Cash management
She said some changes in cash management practices would also become necessary as road closures, limited routes in and out of major centres and as shopper numbers peaked.
"Meeting the challenge of providing excellent and appropriate security, yet doing this in such a way that shoppers still feel welcome and comfortable is the ultimate goal," Black said.
"We are confident that our initiative will support shopping centres and retailers to operate maximally to the benefit, convenience and safety of the millions of shoppers they will be servicing."
SACSC president Sisa Ngebulana, said the council was confident local shopping centres were ready to safely welcome the world for the event.
At the same time, regular consumers would be able to enjoy a relatively hassle-free shopping experience during this landmark international sporting event, he said.
