Africa-Press – South-Africa. Capetonians have been warned to be on the lookout for scammers trying to sell cheap, fraudulent units and others posing as electricity officials in order to gain access to homes.
The City of Cape Town said it had received information about residents being offered cheaper units and that people claiming to be from the City had requested entrance into some homes to scan prepaid meters for a “rebate on electricity”.
Mayoral committee member for energy Beverley van Reenen said, in most cases, it was the elderly who were targeted by these scammers.
“Electricity sold doesn’t work on the City’s meters. Everyone loves a deal, especially in these tough economic times, but if the price of the electricity units seems too good to be true, it very likely is a scam,” she said.
“If someone attempts to enter your home under the premise that you’ll be given a rebate, it is also likely to be a scam.”
The City urged residents to report scammers posing as officials or contractors and wanting to gain access to their homes.
Van Reenen said:
According to the City, its Electricity Generation and Distribution Department will make an appointment with residents before visiting their homes.
Municipal workers and contractors must carry a work order number specific to that dwelling and a legitimate City-issued identification card.
“Residents should ask to check the work order number and the identification card before allowing anyone onto their property and to verify whether the card is legitimate,” said Van Reenen.
The identification card of the official must display the City logo, the name and surname of the staff member or mandated contractor, and must contain an embedded photo of the staff member or mandated contractor.
If unsure, residents are urged to call the City’s call centre on 0860 103 089.
Any suspicious behaviour must be reported to the City’s law enforcement agencies or its fraud hotline on 0800 1100 77, or the South African Police Service.
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