A growing number of South Africans are falling victim to a disturbing crime trend in which criminals force or enable victims to transfer money from their banking apps, often within minutes of being targeted.
Akhona Nkala from Pretoria said she lost money shortly after her bag, containing her phone, was snatched while she was waiting for a taxi in the early hours of the morning.
“My bag was snatched while I was waiting for a taxi. I went straight to the bank instead of work to close my account,” said Nkala.
However, by the time she arrived, transactions had already been processed.
“When I got there, I was told transfers had already been made in less than an hour. So it means they wanted my phone only, as opposed to everything in my bag, to access my money,” she said.
“I don’t even know how they did it because my PIN is not in my phone or anywhere. Since then, I don’t have any banking apps on my new phone.”
Menzi Zulu, an Uber driver in Johannesburg, is among those who have experienced the ordeal.
Zulu said he received a cash trip request in Booysens and picked up two passengers heading to Alexandra. Along the way, they asked him to stop and pick up another person.
“As I stopped, another person came, and I was gun-pointed. I screamed, and they said they won’t hurt me. They told me to open my phone, go to my banking app and transfer money,” he said.
Zulu transferred the R6,000 he had in his account.
“They took the phones and ran immediately. I went to a nearby garage to ask for assistance to call my bank and my wife,” he said.
Chris de Kock, a crime analyst, said such incidents are part of a broader pattern of kidnappings and robberies that have escalated in recent years.
“There was a dramatic increase in kidnappings over the past three years,” De Kock said, noting that most cases in South Africa are not traditional ransom kidnappings.
“In many instances, victims are taken during a hijacking or robbery and forced to transfer money using their banking apps. In some cases, they are even forced to take out loans,” he said.
De Kock said criminals are increasingly targeting individuals believed to have access to larger sums and ordinary commuters.
“People using public transport, especially after dark or towards month-end, are becoming more vulnerable to these types of crimes,” he said.
These financially motivated abductions typically unfold quickly, with perpetrators detaining individuals just long enough to coerce them into draining their accounts.
— Andre Wentzel, Sabric CEO
Lizette Lancaster, head of the justice and violence prevention programme at the Institute for Security Studies, said the crimes are commonly referred to as “express kidnappings”.
“In the past decade, reported incidents of kidnapping increased by 260% before decreasing slightly in the 2024/2025 financial year. However, recent quarterly statistics already show increases again,” Lancaster said.
“Most kidnappings are so-called express kidnappings where people are taken during robberies or hijackings to access their bank cards or mobile banking apps over a number of hours or even a day or two.”
She said these crimes are often opportunistic, though some victims are deliberately targeted based on perceived access to funds.
“Depending on the group’s sophistication, this can range from a couple of thousand rand to millions,” she said.
Gauteng remains the hardest-hit province, with most kidnapping cases linked to armed robberies.
“Robbery and kidnapping are deeply intertwined, with nearly 80% of kidnappings in Gauteng linked to armed robberies,” Lancaster said.
Andre Wentzel, CEO of the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric), said these incidents have become a recognised feature of South Africa’s violent crime landscape.
“These financially motivated abductions typically unfold quickly, with perpetrators detaining individuals just long enough to coerce them into draining their accounts,” Wentzel said.
He noted that the nature of the crime makes it particularly difficult to prevent.
“Victims are forced to override security measures while under immediate threat and conduct several transactions in quick succession, leaving little time for intervention before the funds are gone,” he said.
How to protect yourself
Wentzel emphasised that collaboration between law enforcement, banks and the public is critical, along with increased awareness and timely reporting.
He advised the public to reduce financial exposure by limiting funds in easily accessible accounts.
This includes keeping lower balances in transactional accounts, storing larger sums in savings or investment accounts with withdrawal restrictions, and setting daily limits on ATM withdrawals and electronic transfers.
“Individuals are also encouraged to protect personal and financial information, avoid predictable routines and remain vigilant in vulnerable situations,” he said.
Don’t try to be a hero
Victims should prioritise their safety during such incidents and avoid resisting attackers, Wentzel said. “Once it is safe to do so, incidents should be reported immediately to the police, the bank and the mobile network provider to secure accounts and support investigations.”
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