Fake repair scam: Technician swindles three KZN women

A cunning scammer is on the prowl, targeting unsuspecting women. His most recent victims are three women in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal. Together, they were swindled out of R1 800 by the deceitful technician in the past week.

Two of them contacted Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) after being duped by the fraudulent technician, who had been hired to fix their broken washing machines.

The technician’s modus operandi was to gain his clients’ trust by completing the repairs, but with a red flag.

He would advise them to wait an hour before switching on the appliances, only to disappear with the payment and leaving the women with non-functional appliances.

In another instance, the technician was asked to repair a broken microwave.

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After allegedly fixing the microwave, he requested payment and instructed the woman to wait an hour before using it. However, when the woman turned on the appliance, she found that it was not working.

Further investigation revealed that the technician removed parts from the appliances.

According to Rusa, the technician’s cellphone has been switched off, and the women have been left to pick up the pieces.

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Speaking to The Citizen, Rusa spokesperson Prem Balram said the victims did not open a case.

“People should test equipment prior to making payment,” he advised.

Furthermore, Balram said this incident serves as a warning to residents to be cautious when dealing with unknown repair technicians and to always verify their credentials before making payments.