The City of Johannesburg would like to caution residents after receiving reports of scammers pretending to be municipal contractors.
According to MMC for Finance Julie Suddaby, the questionable individuals reportedly arrive at private properties to disconnect electricity and water.
“This can be stressful to ratepayers who are being hoodwinked, as it never occurs to them that these are scammers because they have the right look and carry the correct equipment.”
A resident, who almost fell victim to the alleged scammers, identified that the suspects were scammers when they failed to provide a job card or work order. “They pushed the buzzer and said they are there to audit my meter and disconnect it,” said the resident.
The alleged fake contractors threatened to disconnect the resident’s services if he did not offer them a bride.
The resident threatened to have the suspects arrested – private security was alerted and the suspects fled.
Suddaby added that the resident could not initially identify if the contractors were scammers because the identification cards looked legitimate. “However, what was questionable was that they didn’t have a job card or work order and the fact that they were aggressive towards him.”
The City urged residents to verify the identity of contractors who arrive at their doorstep to disconnect services, especially if residents have not received any prior notices from the municipality.
Residents can verify contractors by:
- Visit www.joburg.org.za for a list of municipal contractors along with their telephone numbers, enabling residents to phone and verify the contractor’s identity and work order.
- City Power will provide identity tags to all its contractors.
- Any documentation for work to be carried out on a City meter will be on original paperwork. If residents receive photocopied or sketchy documents, they should use the verification email or phone number below to safeguard their property.
- Residents have the right to insist that contractors show them their name tags or company identification document. Visit the municipal website (www.joburg.org.za to verify a contractor’s legitimacy.
- If residents are unsatisfied with the answers they receive from contractors, they should email logisticsreconnections@joburg.org.za for quick assistance.
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