Criminal Law / Crime Archives - Ashersons Attorneys

25 Sep 2025

Don’t Let Cybercriminals Haunt You this Halloween — Verify, Verify, Verify!

“If you suspect deceit, hit delete!” (Online cybersecurity slogan) October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a good time to note that as cybercrime continues to grow, more and more businesses and individuals are falling victim to the dreaded “BEC” or “Business Email Compromise” fraud. The million-dollar question: Who takes the hit? Typically in a BEC fraud, email or other electronic communications between a creditor and debtor (often a seller and buyer, or service provider and client) are hacked by criminals, who con the debtor into paying what they owe into the fraudster’s bank account. By the time the parties realise they’ve…

25 Jun 2025

By Ashersons Attorneys

Private Prosecution: Neighbours at War

“I charge you by the law.” (William Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice) Victims of crime are entitled to see the perpetrators brought to justice. Feeling that the justice system has failed you can cause significant psychological harm and feelings of victimisation. So, what happens if you believe that you are the victim of a crime, which you duly report to the police – only to be told that the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) has declined to prosecute? You could of course console yourself with the thought that “well, at least I tried” and walk away unfazed. But if you…

26 Mar 2025

By Ashersons Attorneys

Verify Banking Details Before Paying Any Invoice – You’re at Risk, Not the Creditor

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” (Benjamin Franklin’s warning to fire-threatened Philadelphians in 1736) Cases of Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud continue to surge, and recent High Court decisions have confirmed that it’s up to you to verify that you are paying into the correct bank account. How does BEC work and who is at risk? BEC fraud involves cybercriminals impersonating your trusted contacts (e.g. suppliers and professional advisors) in fraudulent emails that look genuine. The idea is to trick you into making payment into the scammer’s account. Everyone’s at risk, but BEC is particularly rife in…

28 Oct 2024

By Ashersons Attorneys

No Means No: What the New Case on Consent Means for Victims of Sexual Violence

“Sexual violence is a horrific reality that continues to plague this country.” (Quoted in judgment below) It’s often said that victims of rape and other types of sexual violence have to suffer twice – firstly at the hands of the rapist and secondly at the hands of the law. A recent High Court ruling on the knotty question of consent could go some way towards remedying this. At the heart of the matter is the delicate balance between a victim’s right to be treated with dignity and compassion in their quest for justice, and the accused’s right to be presumed…

25 Sep 2024

By Ashersons Attorneys

How Does the New Corruption Reporting Law Affect Your Business?

“In defence of Madiba’s legacy, we will continue to wage a relentless war on corruption…” (President Cyril Ramaphosa) You may have seen mention of the new amendment to the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities (POCCA) Act that imposes severe penalties for any failure to report corruption. If you did see it, you quite possibly thought “Doesn’t apply to me, I’m just a small business”. Wrong! Let’s have a look at who the new law applies to, what it requires of you, the risk you run if you don’t pay it due attention, and how you should manage this new…

25 Jun 2024

By Ashersons Attorneys

Home Buyer loses R5.5m in Phishing Scam – Don’t Make the Same Mistake!

“[The buyer] must in the circumstances take responsibility for her failure to protect herself against a known risk” (extract from judgment below) Cybercriminals absolutely love targeting property transactions because they provide the perfect mix of large money deposits, heavy reliance on email communication from trusted parties like attorneys, banks and estate agencies, and deadlines creating a sense of urgency and lack of attention to detail. Let’s consider just one recent example of a high-value BEC (Business Email Compromise) attack on the purchase of a house. A textbook case costs a pensioner R5.5m A woman describing herself as “an elderly divorced…

25 Jun 2024

By Ashersons Attorneys

The New Cannabis Act: Here’s What You Will and Won’t Be Allowed to Do

“It’s high time they legalised cannabis” (Anon) Much excitement has greeted the signing into law of the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act, which will formally regulate the cultivation, possession, and use of cannabis by adults in a private setting and, says the Presidency, lays the groundwork for regulatory reforms “to allow for the industrialisation of the cannabis sector.” But although the new Act has been widely reported in the media as though it is already in force, this is not correct – it will only come into effect when its commencement date is gazetted. It is not clear at date of…