FOR a R7500 investment, con artists using a company name ‘Intergovernmental Development Marketplace (IGDMp)’ are circulating letters promising businesses a spot as a preferred supplier to African markets.
The scammers claim they work in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to assist companies to participate in the ‘Intra-Africa marketplace’, and to be favoured contractors to provide goods and services to all African countries in a government-to-government procurement programme.
Acting CEO of the DTI’s Trade Invest Africa (TIA) initiative, Lerato Mataboge said neither the department nor the TIA has entered into any partnership with IGDMp or has had any discussions with the company’s ‘executive director’, who is listed as a Professor Clough Marshall in letters sent to companies.
‘As a government department, we are providing a free service to companies interested in investing in various parts of Africa or conducting trade with other companies from across the continent.
‘We are not working with any private company to provide this service.
‘We suspect this is a scam by an unscrupulous group of individuals who are using information from the DTI website, including the logo, to illegally dupe unsuspecting people.
‘We would like to advise companies that have already paid money to this company to report to the police.’
The department urged companies approached to pay for a service to be rendered by TIA or the DTI to contact its call centre on 0861 843384 or 012 3945000 to report the matter.
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