The Preamble

Having just spoiled the other half to a film I regretted having to see,it reminded me of the promise left unfulfilled and spoiled by the customer and subsequent experience I have had with Mobile Telephone Networks (MTN, owned and operated by the South African Govt Company, Telkom) and their authorised Service Provider (MTNSP) in South Africa recently.

This was followed up with the Identity Documents being  faked,abused and then used to defraud not only myself but also competitor dealers to MTN /MTNSP of up to (to date as of 16/07/2009) quarter of a million Rands (or bucks in local slang). Fortunately due to the diligent efforts of the South African Police Services and the security consultants (also ex police inspectors or officers) their diligent efforts have already resulted in an arrest of this man in JHB. 

I also run another company and this company was the target of this crime, ultimately it does as does all crime, affect the individual, me.

The Causes of Common Crime

I sat thinking about the causes of common crime, non-violent where it pertains to physical attacks.  I feel angry and I could let myself become fearful and worried, but as I was that target or was I really?  Was it in fact personal as it feels?  Most likely not. 

The thieves and fraudsters are after one thing in the end, money and a better life or standard of living for themselves.  I hate that they don't apply themselves as hard to doing a normal days work and they have applied themselves with ingenuity and diligence to the task, imagine what they could accomplish if they just did it legally?

The Solutions

Cause = poverty and feelings of loss or deprivation

Reason = reduction of the poverty

Solution =reduction of the perception of value of the items sold

Application of the logic. The solution is simple make laptops,phones and tech cheap to obtain.

Reasoning.  If this is common and I am told this fraudulent transaction level is sky high since the introduction of the new South African Law requiring pre-pay users to register then the bigger answer of reducing poverty , but the smaller most immediate and easier to achieve solution is to make the items commonplace and be perceived as cheap.

The facts, laptops can be sold for as little as R1500 brand new, iPhones, Blackberry's and Sony Ericsson phones are between $300-$600 or thereabouts in the USA sell them for a subsidised amount to the public and get the perception of the value of these items dropped to that of a nokia being sold for R300.00.

How To - An Instruction On The Reduction of Value to Reduce Crime

I thought about the losses, Quarter Million per week average = R1 083 250 pcm = R13 million per year

Give or take a million or so, this is my conservative estimate of what the industry is losing to various causes listed below;

1. Poor pay for staff
2. Poor security procedures
3. Lack of respect for the thieves
4. Lack of respect for each other
5. Poorly Structured Incentives
6. High perceived value of items