SOUTH African cybernet café operators have teamed up with police to deal with customers that abuse their equipment to engage in fraudulent activities.
The operators said owing to the prevalence of production of fraudulent documents such as identity books and asylum permits, they had to call in the police for assistance.
“Once we find out that a client is producing fraudulent documents in our café, we immediately notify the police,” said Sipho Ncube, an official at NewWorld Café in Berea, north of Johannesburg.
He added, “Such customers give our business a bad name. There is a stigma that our businesses are havens for fraud and we wish to change all that. The police are of great help.”
Kingsley Ike also said they were also cracking the whip on customers that engaged in criminal activities.
“We tip off police if such incidents happen. The police also regularly visit our café to keep check on the situation,” said Ike, who operates an internet café in central Johannesburg.
There is a prevalence of fraudulent activities in many parts of Africa, particularly in South Africa where demand for such documents as ID books and asylum permits is high.
A police officer said they would severely deal with the culprits.
“We will leave no stone unturned in our quest to curb criminal activities, which include the production of fraudulent documents using computer technology. Cybernet café operators and members of the public should notify police if they are aware of such syndicates,” said Tina Jonas, a Johannesburg-based undercover police officer–ITNewsAfrica.
