The City of Cape Town has issued a warning to prepaid electricity users to not be caught by an apparent token scam doing the rounds.
“The City is aware of scammers who are attempting to sell electricity prepaid tokens at a discounted rate,” said Beverley van Reenen, Mayoral Committee member for Energy. “It should be noted that any units bought in this manner will not be accepted by City prepaid electricity meters and customers will lose the money paid.”
She advised purchasing units only from reputable vendors, a list of which can be found on the City’s load shedding app or website.
“If residents choose to purchase from a scammer it will unfortunately be money wasted,” Van Reenen reiterated. “The City cannot refund residents in these situations. Residents are reminded: if a deal seems too good to be true, it very likely is.
“If residents are struggling financially they are reminded they can reduce their household electricity bills by using less. To a large extent the power to reduce costs and usage is truly in their hands. The City also has help available for registered indigent people and pensioners. Residents are encouraged to reach out to the City to see if they qualify for assistance.”
Residents are urged to report any suspicious behaviour on the City’s Fraud Hotline on 0800 323 130 or at your nearest police station.
