eThekwini Municipality alerts residents to extortion scams by fake officials
Residents of Durban are urged to remain vigilant as eThekwini Municipality has warned that criminals are impersonating municipal officials in a bid to extort money.
Image: Leon Lestrade / Independent Newspapers
Durban residents have been urged to be on alert as criminals are posing as eThekwini Municipality officials in an attempt to extort money from ratepayers.
The municipality said in a statement that the scourge of imposters pretending to be City employees has reared its ugly head once again.
It added that there were also ongoing internal investigations into whether staff members were involved in the incidents.
“In a recent incident in Westville, a customer received an SMS claiming that a municipal team was on its way to disconnect their electricity supply due to alleged arrears. The message was fraudulent as the customer had no outstanding debt and was on a prepaid meter,” the City said.
It added that the individual behind the SMS falsely claimed to be an official from the City's Energy Management Directorate’s Revenue Protection Branch and attempted to cause panic to extort money.
The Directorate’s Revenue Protection Branch senior manager, Nathi Nkwanyana, said he was concerned about the growing number of such incidents and that the incidents appear to be spreading to different parts of the city.
“We are working closely with the City Integrity and Investigations Directorate (CIID), as there is great suspicion that internal staff members may be part of this syndicate. The fact that criminals have access to customers’ personal information is deeply concerning. The safety of our residents is of paramount importance, and we do not condone any form of criminality,” said Nkwanyana.
The municipality said residents can assist by:·
- Reporting any suspicious activity immediately to law enforcement authorities:- SAPS 10111 or - the City’s Integrity and Investigations Directorate on 0800 20 20 20.·
- Always verifying the identification of any person claiming to be a City official before granting them access to their property.
- Refraining from making any payments to individuals posing as municipal employees. All payments must be made only at official municipal offices or through approved City payment channels.