SAPS KZN: Tender scam has resurfaced
An estimated 68 tender scam incidents have been reported recently.
Spokesperson for the SAPS KwaZulu-Natal Media Centre, Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala is warning small business owners to be wary of government tender scams doing the rounds.
A trend has been detected where fraudsters make contact with small business owners and mislead then into believing they have been awarded tenders from government departments,” she confirmed.
Lt Col Gwala explained that fraudulent letterheads and email addresses were being used in requests to the targeted businesses, asking the victims to supply specific or unusual products. The target businesses were also being asked by scammers to use a specific supplier to obtain the products needed for the tender – this supplier is also part of the scheme.
Only after paying an amount in cash to the alleged supplier did the victims realise they had been scammed.
Lt Col Gwala said the scam had been around since 2015 and appeared to have subsided by 2020, due to previous police warnings. However, roughly 68 incidents have been reported recently in which the perpetrators have reverted to previous behaviour.
These con artists prey on needy small business owners who are just getting started in their fields. We are urging the community to be aware of these ongoing scams and to check such requests with the appropriate government department, should they receive them.”
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