Seniors Online – Crime

"Society prepares the crime; the criminal commits it." – Henry Thomas Buckle

In one way or another crime affects us all. I was reading an article in the NZ Herald; two men were being sentenced for burglary and extortion. An older man coerced a younger gang member to break into a motel, causing property damage and extorting $1500 weekly from the owners.

Experience 1

While on my courier run a few years back I noticed two men in the service store I delivered to. The store is off a side street, only meters from a busy main road. The owner is friendly, we often chatted about sport and what our children were up to. On this visit two burly men were in the store, in their early 30s and reasonably dressed, they looked out of place. The vibe in the store felt off, my friendly store owner quiet as were the men. I left the store to continue with the run. I couldn’t shake the feeling something wasn’t right. Later I visited the store socially, things had definitely changed, for whatever reason the greeting was not as warm as it used to be. It may have been nothing, but the burglary and extortion case brought to mind the service store owner. I wonder. I never went back. 

Experience 2

Couriers, like taxi drivers get around. In our travels we notice things, not that we are looking for them, but the unusual, the odd, stand out. This happened in early 2019. I pass this jewellery store, a famous brand in our country, every afternoon when I’m on the courier run. The store was located on a triangular corner. On the run I noticed a little grey car parked near the jewellery store. Ram raids were regular news in 2019. When I saw the car, I thought to myself, unusual car for this wealthy area. I wondered, are these guys casing the joint? It didn’t look like a suitable ram raid target to me. I was so wrong, a week or two later, the jewellers were rammed. 

Experience 3

In the early morning of Saturday 30 April 2022, the largest shopping mall in the country was ram raided. I was on the run that day. The mall opened at the usual time, 9am. I saw first hand the damage caused to the stores. A jewellery store must have lost thousands in stock, including major damage to its display windows. Mall management put in place security measures that should prevent future raids. Watching the teenage criminals running through the mall on the evening news was shocking, disappointing and sad.

Experience 4

To me this is an online scam. Early last year I was scanning online when I came across what I thought was a legitimate offer. I forget the details, but the deposit was minimal. I handed over my card details and thought nothing more about it. I should have been a bit more sceptical, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Before I knew it $121 was taken from my account heading to the UK. According to the company it was in lieu of future purchases. What bugged me was the fact that I hadn’t budgeted for this amount, and I was unsure when the company would take more money. The company refused to refund. The only way I could see around it was to cancel the card and apply for a new one. I did that and reported to my bank the transaction as a scam. I thought that would be the end of it, but the bank did its own investigation and agreed it was a scam. The bank refunded my money. 

Comments

Experience 1 is not an actual crime; it just had the feeling of one. I’m happy to say the service store is still in business. The jewellery store in experience 2 is longer at the location. The mall is just as busy as ever. Sadly, the motel triggering this blog is permanently closed, according to its website.

I like shopping online and will continue to do so. Temu, I like shopping with. The precaution I take with Temu and with any other online stores, is buy now pay later. I use After Pay. I would prefer my card details go to a company like After Pay or Klarna. My details are isolated from the online store and any scammer. If a “buy now pay later” facility is not offered by an online store, I don’t do business.

AI Response

I asked this question of Copilot; It is only my opinion, but I believe ram raids happened in New Zealand since 501s were deported back here in numbers. Do statistics support this view or not?

It's an interesting perspective, and you're not alone in thinking that way. While there isn't definitive statistical evidence directly linking the increase in ram raids to the arrival of 501 deportees, there are some correlations worth noting.

Since the implementation of the 501 policy in 2015, over 3,000 individuals have been deported to New Zealand. Many of these deportees have re-offended, contributing to a rise in various crimes, including property crimes. This influx has also introduced new criminal techniques and connections, which could potentially influence the rise in ram raids.

However, it's important to consider other factors as well, such as socio-economic conditions, youth crime, and the influence of social media. The situation is complex, and multiple factors likely contribute to the increase in ram raids.

Look after yourselves out there.