Metro warns against prepaid meter scamsters

The Ekurhuleni metro reminds customers never to pay a ‘fine’ to a municipal official unless the payment takes place over the counter in the metro’s customer care centre.

This reminder follows reports of customers receiving hand-delivered letters from fraudsters who claim that the customer’s meter was found to have been tampered with and that an immediate spot fine must be paid to avoid disconnection of power, explained metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe.

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According to Gadebe, customers are also lured into installing what it purported to be a prepaid meter, where the customer is scammed to believe that they will pay substantially less per kilowatt-hour if they switch to this meter.

“Once the customer accepts this “upgrade”, the monthly fees are not paid to the metro, but to the scammer,” Gadebe said.

“If an unlawfully installed prepaid meter in discovered by the metro’s meter auditors, the illegitimate prepaid meter will be confiscated and electricity supply will also be disconnected until a legitimate meter is installed by Ekurhuleni officials.”

To avoid becoming a victim of crime, residents are advised to follow the following rules:

• Do not make direct payments or pay spot fines to an individual claiming to be a municipal official.

• All payments must be over the counter inside any rates hall across Ekurhuleni.

• Upon receiving a letter from the metro, residents should make a follow-up call through the call centre or the 999 number provided on the letter before making any payments.

• Always request a legitimate receipt that can be kept as proof of payment.

Any illegal activities or suspicious behaviour should be reported to 086 054 3000.

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