PROJECT: HOW CRIMINALS PLAN BEFORE THEY STRIKE (PART 1)
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CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE GATHERING
One of the greatest mistakes members of the public make is believing that criminals simply select a victim at random
before committing an offence. While opportunistic crimes certainly occur, many of South Africa's most serious violent and economic crimes are meticulously planned through extensive intelligence gathering.
Whether the intended crime is a house robbery, business robbery, kidnapping, cash-in-transit robbery, vehicle hijacking, extortion, fraud, cybercrime or even murder, professional criminals rarely act without first gathering information
about their intended victim.
The reality is simple:
Information is the criminal's greatest weapon.
The more intelligence criminals obtain beforehand, the lower their risk and the greater their chance of success.
Specialised Security Services (SSS) regularly encounters investigations where victims unknowingly provided criminals
with the information needed to plan the crime.
Understanding how criminals gather intelligence is one of the most effective crime prevention measures available.
WHAT IS CRIMINAL INTELLIGENGE GATHERING?
Criminal intelligence gathering is the systematic collection, verification and analysis of information about a person, family, business or organisation before a crime is committed.
Just as law enforcement agencies gather intelligence to prevent crime, organised criminal syndicates collect intelligence to commit crime.
Their objective is to answer critical questions such as:
Who is the victim?
Where do they live?
What vehicles do they drive?
What security measures protect them?
What valuables do they possess?
What are their daily routines?
Who are their family members?
When are they most vulnerable?
Who can provide inside information?
Only once these questions have been answered do many organised criminals execute their plan.
SURVEILLANCE OF VICTIMS:
Professional surveillance is one of the oldest criminal intelligence methods.
Criminals may observe a victim for several days or even weeks before taking action.
They monitor:
Departure and arrival times.
Work schedules.
Children's school routines.
Domestic worker movements.
Security guard shift changes.
Alarm activation times.
Visitor patterns.
Deliveries.
Banking routines.
Gym visits.
Religious attendance.
Weekend habits.
Surveillance may be conducted:
From parked vehicles.
By individuals posing as delivery drivers.
By street vendors.
By people pretending to exercise or walk dogs.
By construction workers.
From nearby businesses.
Through rented accommodation overlooking the target.
By motorcycle riders who repeatedly pass the property.
The objective is to identify predictable patterns.
Routine creates opportunity.
ROUTINE ANALYSIS:
One of the greatest advantages criminals exploit is human predictability.
Most people unknowingly live according to strict routines.
For example:
Leaving home at exactly 07:15 every morning.
Visiting the same shopping centre every Friday.
Banking on pension day.
Filling a vehicle with fuel at the same station.
Walking the same route every evening.
Closing the business at exactly the same time.
Collecting children personally every afternoon.
Professional criminals document these routines until they can accurately predict the victim's movements.
Once a routine has been identified, criminals can choose the safest and easiest time to attack.
Changing routines regularly can significantly reduce this risk.
INSIDER INFORMATION:
Many major crimes would never occur without assistance from someone who already has legitimate access to information.
Inside information often originates from:
Current employees.
Former employees.
Domestic workers.
Garden services.
Security guards.
Temporary contractors.
Drivers.
Personal assistants.
IT technicians.
Friends.
Family members.
Business partners.
Insiders may reveal:
Safe locations.
Alarm codes.
Security weaknesses.
Cash movements.
Payroll dates.
Vehicle tracking systems.
Firearm ownership.
Holiday plans.
Valuable jewellery.
Access control procedures.
Bank details.
Some insiders knowingly assist criminals for financial gain.
Others unknowingly disclose sensitive information during casual conversations or on social media.
Businesses should strictly limit access to confidential information and apply the principle of "need to know."
CELLPHONE INTELLIGENCE:
Modern smartphones have become one of the richest sources of criminal intelligence.
Without realising it, victims often reveal:
Their current location.
Holiday destinations.
Expensive purchases.
Daily routines.
Family members.
Children's schools.
Favourite restaurants.
Banking visits.
Business meetings.
Vehicle registrations.
Criminals obtain cellphone intelligence through:
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Public photographs, check-ins, live videos and location tagging can reveal when a property is unoccupied.
DATA BREACHES:
Leaked databases may expose names, addresses, identity numbers, email addresses and cellphone numbers.
PHISHING ATTACKS:
Fraudulent emails, SMS messages and fake websites trick victims into revealing passwords and banking credentials.
SIM-SWAP FRAUD:
Criminals unlawfully transfer a victim's cellphone number to another SIM card, allowing them to intercept one-time passwords and access financial accounts.
MALICIOUS APPLICATIONS:
Fake or compromised applications can steal contacts, photographs, messages and location information.
STOLEN OR LOST PHONES:
An unlocked phone may provide criminals with immediate access to sensitive personal and business information.
The smartphone has become both a communication device and an intelligence source for organised crime.
SOCIAL ENGINEERING:
Social engineering is the psychological manipulation of people into revealing confidential information or performing actions that benefit criminals.
Unlike hacking computers, social engineering targets human trust.
Criminals may pretend to be:
Bank officials.
Police officers.
Security company representatives.
Delivery personnel.
Insurance investigators.
Municipal employees.
IT support technicians.
Government officials.
Charity workers.
Maintenance contractors.
Their objective is to obtain information such as:
Passwords.
Identity numbers.
Banking details.
Security procedures.
Access codes.
Alarm information.
Family routines.
Staff information.
Many successful frauds begin with nothing more than a convincing telephone conversation.
OPEN SOURCE INTELLIGENCE (OSINT):
Criminals no longer need sophisticated hacking equipment to collect information.
A significant amount of intelligence is freely available online.
They search:
Social media platforms.
Business websites.
Company staff directories.
Property records.
News reports.
Public photographs.
Professional networking platforms.
Online advertisements.
Public tender documents.
Search engines.
By combining small pieces of publicly available information, criminals can build a detailed profile of a potential victim.
WHICH CRIMES COMMONLY INVOLVE INTELLIGENCE GATHERING?
Extensive intelligence gathering is commonly associated with:
Residential robberies.
Business robberies.
Armed robberies.
Vehicle hijackings.
Kidnappings for ransom.
Extortion.
Cash-in-transit robberies.
ATM bombings.
Fraud.
Identity theft.
Cybercrime.
Organised theft.
Vehicle theft syndicates.
Wildlife trafficking.
Drug trafficking.
Assassinations.
Commercial espionage.
In almost every case, criminals seek to reduce uncertainty before committing the offence.
HOW CAN THE PUBLIC PROTECT THEMSELVES:
Members of the public should:
Avoid posting live locations on social media.
Delay sharing holiday photographs until after returning home.
Regularly vary daily routines.
Restrict public access to personal information.
Verify the identity of unexpected callers or visitors.
Never disclose security measures to strangers.
Vet domestic workers and employees thoroughly.
Protect mobile phones with strong passwords and biometric security.
Be alert to repeated sightings of unfamiliar vehicles or individuals near homes or workplaces.
Report suspicious surveillance immediately.
Educate family members and employees about social engineering tactics.
Review privacy settings on social media accounts regularly.
Apply the principle of sharing only information that is necessary.
Most serious crimes do not begin when the criminal arrives at the scene.
They begin with intelligence gathering.
Every photograph shared publicly, every predictable routine, every casual conversation, every unsecured mobile phone
and every piece of unnecessary personal information may contribute to a criminal's planning process.
Criminals succeed because they know more about their victims than the victims realise.
Crime prevention therefore starts long before a criminal appears.
By understanding how organised criminals gather intelligence, individuals, families and businesses
can significantly reduce their vulnerability and make themselves far more difficult targets.
If you suspect that you, your family or your business are being monitored, surveilled or targeted by organised criminals,
seek professional assistance immediately.
Mr. Mike Bolhuis and the Specialist Investigators of Specialised Security Services (SSS) have extensive experience
in investigating organised criminal activity, intelligence gathering, surveillance operations
and complex criminal investigations throughout South Africa. Early intervention can often prevent a crime before it occurs.
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Regards,
Mike Bolhuis
Specialist Investigators into
Serious Violent, Serious Economic Crimes & Serious Cybercrimes
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