Most violent crimes in South Africa don’t happen by chance. Criminals rarely act completely on impulse. Before they attack, they often carry out what experts call the “interview process.” This is the stage where criminals assess whether you’re a good target or not.
Just like in a job interview, there are questions and answers — but here, your answers aren’t spoken. They’re read through your body language, awareness, and reaction. If you unknowingly give the wrong “answers,” you may find yourself marked as the next victim.
What is the Criminal Interview?
The “interview” is a subtle test. Criminals use it to:
- Measure your level of awareness.
- See if you’ll be an easy target or put up resistance.
- Decide whether to attack, move on, or change their approach.
In South Africa, where crimes like muggings, hijackings, and armed robberies are common, this interview process happens every day in streets, parking lots, malls, and even at your own front gate.
Common Interview Tactics Criminals Use
- Direct Approach With a Question
- “Do you have the time?”
- “Can you give me a cigarette?”
- “Where’s the taxi rank?”
These questions are rarely about the answer — they’re about getting close, checking your reaction, and breaking your focus.
- The Distraction Game
- One person engages you while others move in from the side or behind.
- Often used in ATM robberies, shopping center parking lots, or busy taxi ranks.
- Invading Your Space
- Criminals deliberately stand too close to test whether you push back or shrink away.
- A lack of response can signal fear or compliance.
- Verbal Pressure or Small Demands
- They might ask you for money, a cigarette, or to borrow your phone.
- If you comply easily, they know you are unlikely to resist when they escalate.
- Intimidation Tests
- Staring too long, circling you, or blocking your path.
- Watching whether you freeze, ignore, or assertively move away.
How Criminals Interpret Your “Answers”
- Head down, avoiding eye contact, fumbling with phone or bag → “Not paying attention, easy victim.”
- Polite compliance with unreasonable requests → “Submissive, likely won’t fight back.”
- Freezing or looking panicked → “Fearful, can be controlled.”
- Confident posture, scanning surroundings, firm voice → “This one will make it difficult.”
How to Fail the Criminal Interview (and Pass for Safety)
You don’t need to be aggressive or confrontational. The goal is to signal awareness and confidence, making yourself a less attractive target.
- Stay alert: Lift your head, scan your environment, and notice people around you.
- Keep distance: Don’t allow strangers into your personal space. Move, step back, or create a barrier.
- Use confident body language: Shoulders back, purposeful stride, clear voice.
- Trust your instincts: If something feels wrong, it usually is. Leave the area.
- Set boundaries early: If a stranger approaches and you don’t feel comfortable, use a firm “Sorry, I can’t help you” and move away.
Final Thought
Criminals in South Africa are skilled at spotting weakness. The interview process is their way of “testing” you before committing to an attack. By learning to recognize it — and knowing how to respond — you can often avoid becoming their chosen target.
Your best defense isn’t always physical. Sometimes, it’s about projecting the right presence and shutting down the interview before it begins.
👉 Would you like me to make this even more story-driven — for example, opening with a short real-world scenario of how a mugging starts with an “innocent” question — so readers immediately connect with the lesson?
You said:
yes please
ChatGPT said:
Perfect — here’s a revised story-driven blog post version with a real-world style opening:
The Criminal “Interview” – How South African Criminals Select Their Victims
It usually starts innocently.
You’re walking to your car after shopping when a man steps into your path. He smiles and says:
“Hey, do you have the time?”
It feels harmless — just a stranger asking a simple question. But in reality, you’ve just entered a dangerous stage of what’s called the criminal interview process. In South Africa, this is how many muggings, robberies, and hijackings begin. The attacker isn’t really interested in the time. He’s testing you.
What is the Criminal Interview?
The “interview” is when a criminal decides whether or not you’ll make a good target. It’s not about your words — it’s about your reactions, body language, and awareness.
Just like in a job interview, your answers matter. But here, the wrong answer could cost you your wallet, your car, or your life.
Common Interview Tactics Criminals Use
- The Harmless Question
- “Do you have a lighter?”
- “Where’s the taxi rank?”
- “Can I borrow your phone?”
These questions are rarely genuine. They’re excuses to get close and check your response.
- The Distraction
- One person chats to you while others drift in from the sides.
- Common in parking lots, at ATMs, or in crowded taxi ranks.
- Space Invasion
- Standing too close, blocking your path, or brushing against you.
- They’re testing whether you’ll allow your boundaries to be broken.
- Small Demands
- Asking for a cigarette, a rand or two, or help with something small.
- If you give in easily, they see you as compliant.
- Silent Pressure
- Staring, circling, or making subtle hand signals to partners.
- You feel uncomfortable but can’t explain why. That’s the point.
How Criminals Interpret Your “Answers”
- Looking down, fiddling with your phone, avoiding eye contact → “Unaware, easy target.”
- Polite compliance with unreasonable requests → “Submissive, won’t resist.”
- Freezing or looking panicked → “Fearful, easy to control.”
- Confident posture, scanning surroundings, firm voice → “High risk, maybe not worth it.”
How to Fail the Criminal Interview (and Pass for Safety)
Your goal isn’t to fight the criminal — it’s to convince them you’re not the right target.
- Project awareness: Walk tall, scan your environment, make brief eye contact.
- Keep space: Step back if someone gets too close, or move so you’re not boxed in.
- Be assertive: Use a clear, firm voice. “Sorry, can’t help you,” while moving away.
- Trust your gut: If it feels wrong, it probably is. Don’t worry about being “rude.”
- Exit early: If you spot pre-attack signs, don’t stick around to see what happens.
Final Thought
South African criminals are experts at spotting weakness. The interview process is their way of testing you before they commit to an attack. Recognizing it — and shutting it down quickly — can often mean the difference between walking away safely and becoming another victim of crime.
The truth is, your body language, awareness, and confidence can deter a criminal before violence even starts. By failing their interview, you just might save yourself from the rest of the story.
