Durban - Police have advised motorists to double-check if their vehicle has been successfully locked when they park in public places.
The warning comes after several cases were reported to Malvern SAPS that items have been stolen from cars that were parked in the parking lot of a busy shopping centre.
Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane, a KwaZulu- Natal police spokesperson, said the driver should always check that the car is locked by trying to open the door after it was locked by a handheld the remote.
Zwane said this should be standard practise before a driver walks away from his car.
"They should never press the remote while walking away from the vehicle. If they notice suspicious behaviour in the parking lot they must not hesitate to report to the police, security guards or centre manager," Zwane said.
Busy shopping centres have become the hunting grounds for thieves using remote jamming devices.
Malvern police have issued an alert that the crime was prevalent. Police said handbags, wallets, cash, CD's, sunglasses, laptops, iPads, cell phones are taken from inside the car and the boot.
Malvern police have warned motorists to be on the lookout for a suspicious person carrying a knapsack loitering aimlessly between cars in the parking lot.
Police urged motorists to watch for people slouching in a parked car nearby because they could be operating a remote jamming scanner. Other scammers pretend to be loading items into their car boot.