Kidnappings in South Africa increased by 6.8% in 2025. This translates to 4.571 cases reported to the South African Police Forces making it a growing area of crime concern in the country.
It has become one of the fastest-growing violent crimes in the region and technology is accelerating the threat. digital footprints and online behaviour are giving criminals the clues they need to track routines, identify vulnerabilities and profile victims long before an attack takes place.
And, contrary to popular belief, the victims are not exclusively high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs).
Research from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) report, kidnapping for ransom or extortion only accounts for 5% of kidnappings – HNWIs are targeted and receive more coverage, but ‘the majority of victims are likely to be low-income citizens who do not report the crime’.
Criminals are increasingly turning on those who appear to have quick cash or whose digital behaviour suggests they may comply under pressure.
Unfortunately, people are exposing themselves to this risk unintentionally. Social media has become a detailed map of people’s lives. It reveals schools, daily driving routines, financial habits and private family dynamics.
Oversharing is building a high-resolution profile that can be exploited in minutes. For example, posting a first day of school photo that shows a child’s uniform and tags parents, or sharing location-enabled photos, all provide information that can be used to impersonate a trusted adult or identify a weak point in a family’s day.
Digital traces also reveal economic status. Lifestyle photos, cars, branded shopping bags, bank cards or watches may signal wealth or access to funds. Even something as simple as carrying a high tier banking card, posting holiday photos or frequently posing with luxury cars can create the impression of wealth, even if it’s not accurate.
Kidnappers are using these signals as part of a broader intelligence-gathering process. Criminals study social media for patterns such as school pickup times, weekend habits, gym visits, popular restaurants, online dating or the precise moment someone enters or leaves a location.
Routine has become a danger because predictable daily movements create an easy blueprint for attackers. Repeating the same route to school, using the same shopping centre to exit, arriving at work at a set time, or parking in the same alleyway can make planning an abduction straightforward.
Especially if you document this online. Even financially modest families become attractive targets if criminals can predict where and when they will be alone.
Location data amplifies the threat. A single photograph with geotagging left on can reveal where a person lives or works. A great example, or perhaps horrible warning, of this is the well-known ISIS selfie incident where a militant geotagged a social media photo and exposed a command site that was then struck by US forces.
Similar, very human, mistakes on social media give criminals easy access to homes, schools or workplaces.
Gaming platforms and online community spaces are another layer of exposure. Children and teenagers often reveal personal details in chat groups such as names, ages and locations.
Threat actors use false identities to build trust, posing as friends in gaming communities and gradually eroding boundaries until a child reveals enough information to be physically located.
When these factors are combined with the economic pressures felt in South Africa and the ever-evolving organised crime tactics, it is the perfect digital storm. Even travel exposes new risks.
When you cross borders without telling other people where you’re going, criminals can exploit the communication gap. In fact, there have been reports of criminals reporting someone as kidnapped while they were out of signal range or contact, even though they had not actually kidnapped them.
These fake or virtual kidnappings have criminals demanding ransom at a time when people cannot be contacted.
Mitigating these risks asks for vigilance rather than fear, though. Lock your social media profiles so only your profile photos are visible to strangers and disable geotagging before taking pictures.
Bolster these measures by restricting tagging permissions and avoiding posts that reveal school names, uniforms or routine locations. Families also should set up verification words or shared details that only they know, so children can confirm an identity before leaving with an adult.
Support these measures with situational awareness by varying your daily routines, keeping your emergency contacts aware of travel plans and being just that little bit less predictable. Criminals rely on your predictability. While kidnapping is complex and frightening, clean up your digital footprint and stay secure – it’s not paranoia, it's part of modern living.
Share
