Hold tight onto your money… the scammers want it!
The Breede Valley Municipality (BVM) this week warned residents and business owners not to fall victim to those who fraudulently claim to be municipal officials.
The municipality said it recently received multiple complaints of scammers’ clever schemes to solicit money, obtain personal information or gain access to property.
The devious schemes include requests for payments or “inspection fees” for fake or non-existent services, a demand to supply banking details or other personal identification information. The scammers may phone or send emails using fake municipal letterheads, forged staff names or falsified identification to elicit information or payments.
There have been cases where they fraudulently contact service providers and bidders, pretending to be from the municipality’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) Unit. They request funding or “upfront payments” before awarding a bid or formal quotation, a practice strictly illegal and never part of legitimate municipal procedure, the BVM warned.
The municipality reminded residents that all legitimate municipal officials carry official identification cards. Municipal staff are not allowed to collect cash payments or fees directly from residents or businesses. All payments must be made only through authorised municipal offices or the official BVM banking details.
The municipality emphasises that it will not, under any circumstances, request payment from any service provider before an official appointment letter is issued or communicate SCM outcomes via telephone before issuing written notifications.
They will not send award letters without the name and surname of the CFO and/or Municipal Manager and won’t expect suppliers to pay any funds to the municipality to secure contracts or orders. A well-known scam has resurfaced where an individual – sometimes using the name “David Dube” – contacts residents on WhatsApp claiming their electricity will be disconnected for arrears at their exact address. The scammer sends an image of workers at a substation or outside a property and claims the team will arrive at a specific time. A payment is demanded immediately to “cancel” the disconnection. This is not a legitimate municipal process, the BVM warns.
To avoid falling victim, residents and businesses must verify the identity of anyone claiming to represent BVM before engaging them. Do not share personal, financial or account information with unverified individuals. Report all suspicious messages, visits or scams immediately to the Municipality’s Call Centre on 0860 12 12 12, the Fraud Hotline on 080 348 2600 or the SCM Office on 023 348 3950 or via email for SCM fraud reports at mpotgieter@bvm.gov.za.
BVM and law enforcement are working on the problem.
