Blue Valley Golf & Country Estate Case Study

Gated estates are becoming a popular residential choice for many South Africans for one main reason – stringent and elevated security features and protocols. However, despite these security measures, breaches can happen. 

A key area of security that some estates may overlook or not invest enough in is the vetting of their residents and rental guests. This includes the systems for managing visitors. Criminals, especially crime syndicates, are well aware of this flaw and take advantage of it where they can. More often than not, members of crime syndicates will pose as rental guests to gain entry into the estate. 

In January, we saw this exact case take place at the Blue Valley Golf & Country Estate in Centurion. According to a notice sent out by the Security Manager, 

“On Friday afternoon, 29 January 2021, it was established that one of the properties in the Estate, which was operating as an Airbnb, had guests that are targeting and robbing unsuspecting sellers of items over social media, and other electronic platforms.”

The members of the syndicate booked and pretended to be residents of the estate. Once they had convinced the seller that they were residents, they provided him with a click-on pin so that he could enter the estate. Once he arrived at the house, the criminals robbed him of his cell phone, tied him up with cable-ties and left him in the house. 

The homeowners are not at fault as there was no way for them to predict this unfortunate incident. It is, however, a clear indicator of how important it is to not only vet estate residents but all rental guests as well. Vetting will allow you to discern whether the potential residents have clear criminal backgrounds, sound references and good credit scores – all of which should impact their application to buy or rent within an estate. 

Over and above the estate’s responsibility to keep you safe, it’s important that you do your own due diligence. Research the estate and the area thoroughly, find out where the nearest police stations, fire departments and hospitals are, and make time to get to know your neighbours. Ultimately, the onus is on you to ensure your own personal safety. 

Gravity Risk Consultants offers an extensive vetting package that includes:
– ID Verification
– Bank Account Verification
Drivers’ License and PDP Verification
– Biometric Criminal Record Checks/ID Criminal Record Checks Online
– Credit Checks, Qualification Verification
– Employment Reference Check
– Company Office (CIPC) – Company Registration Number

Get in touch with us to start your journey to even safer estate living.