Durban North resident scammed out of R17 000

SCAMSTERS are now increasingly targeting residents purporting to be from the eThekwini Municipality, a government department or parastatal Eskom. Last week, a Durban North resident was scammed out of R17 020 by men pretending to be from the municipality’s water department. According to Lt Raymond Deokaran, spokesman for the Durban North police station, the woman was contacted via phone.

“The person on the phone identified themselves as being from the water department. They told the resident there seemed to be something wrong with her water meter because the readings were unusually high and that someone would come out the next day.

“Two men arrived the next day and ‘adjusted’ the meter. The duo then told the resident that as part of a new initiative started by the municipality, they could help reduce her water costs by installing a cost-cutting device.

“The men produced a handheld card machine and swiped the resident’s card for the call-out fee. Instead, the scamsters were able to withdraw R17 020 from the resident’s account. She only found out later that night that money had been taken out of her account,” he said.

Deokaran confirmed the municipality’s water department had not started a new cost-cutting water meter initiative and said it was highly irregular for ‘municipal officials’ to insist on entering the property.

“All municipal workers carry identity cards, so it’s vitally important to ask municipal workers to present identification. Since last year we have had an increasing number of people posing as municipal workers trying to scam people,” Deokaran said.

He urged residents to contact their local SAPS station if the situation seems suspicious.