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Various crime trends are on the rise. This time of the year sees the likelihood of victims increasing. One of the many ways criminals can impact your life is by robbing you of your hard-earned money.

Whether you run a business or earn weekly wages, it’s crucial to understand that you can be vulnerable to being followed by criminals as you access a banking facility to deposit or withdraw your money. A crime trend known as bank jugging has become prevalent nationwide. Read on to find out what bank jugging is and how to stay safe from being a victim.

What is Bank Jugging?

There are high risks of carrying large amounts of cash . According to SABRIC, two crimes are common to be aware of if you rely on large amounts of money to run your business. Criminals can follow you after making a deposit or withdrawal from a bank, or they can follow you from the ATM.

This type of crime has grown, particularly during the holiday season. Most South Africans know it as armed robbery from criminals following you. However, international experts call this bank jugging.

Criminals usually follow you to where it’s easy to rob you, such as your business, home, or parking lots. It may be difficult to notice when you are being followed since criminals use spotters who look like ordinary citizens to tail you and describe your every move. If you are used to carrying a large stash of cash, you can be an easy target for these criminals who target unsuspecting victims.

How to Stay Safe from Bank Jugging Criminals

Avoiding being a victim of crime isn’t guaranteed since most criminal acts occur when you least expect them. However, it helps when you know which signs to identify that can put your life in danger. These are helpful tips you can use to ensure you reduce the chances of putting your life at risk when you have a large amount of money with you:

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

As the festive season approaches, the risks of carrying and using cash increase. Criminals will always see you as an easy target if you are unaware of your surroundings. You should be on the lookout for any suspicious people when you enter and leave the bank.

If you think you are being followed, use the iER App to send a silent alert. Emergency responders will be dispatched to your location.

Stay Unpredictable

Criminals can keep track of your routine if you run a business that requires large cash deposits regularly. Changing how you usually do things and staying unpredictable is advisable. Changing your routine can be making one small change that helps you mix things up to prevent falling into the potential trap of being robbed.

Remain Discreet

Being discreet can help keep you safe from being robbed when carrying a large amount of money. You should avoid counting money in public or walking around with it. Most importantly, you should never leave money in your car while running errands.

Consider Convenience

In a world where most businesses and people prefer electronic payments, it’s advisable to consider the convenience of digital banking services. This reduces the safety concerns of carrying money frequently. Additionally, you can enjoy the flexibility of banking anywhere.

In summary, bank jugging is a contact crime that you may have witnessed or heard of. It’s necessary to understand that it can happen to anyone when they least expect it. To stay safe when carrying large amounts of money, you should keep your iER App handy in case you need to press the panic button or use the silent alert function.