The Sol Plaatje Municipality in Kimberley has issued an urgent warning to the legal community and public about a scam currently targeting local law firms.
An individual has been falsely posing as a municipal official, according to the Communication Unit. The scammer approaches law firms requesting payment in exchange for placement on the municipality’s panel of attorneys, and has been illegally using the name of the Municipality’s Legal Adviser.
In one recent incident, a Kimberley-based law firm was asked to pay R20 000 for panel inclusion. The municipality emphasises that it never requests payment from service providers for panel inclusion or any procurement-related matters. Approved firms are contacted directly by Supply Chain Management.
Sol Plaatje Municipality strongly condemns this fraudulent activity and urges all attorneys and law firms to remain vigilant. Any correspondence requesting payment should be treated as fraudulent.
Law firms are encouraged to verify suspicious communications directly with the municipality and report incidents to both Municipal Legal Services and the South African Police Service.
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