Residents warned of convincing ‘municipal’ scam targeting electricity accounts
Residents are urged to remain vigilant after scammers posing as municipal officials attempted to extort money by threatening to disconnect electricity, despite accounts being fully up to date.
A couple living in Kanonkop, who wish to stay anonymous, are warning the community about scammers impersonating municipal officials and threatening to disconnect electricity unless payment is made.
They shared their experience with the Middelburg Observer after confirming with the electricity department that their municipal account was fully paid and not in arrears. Earlier in the day, they received a WhatsApp message claiming they owed money and that the municipality was on its way to disconnect their power.
Although they were certain their account was up to date, they initially considered the possibility of an administrative error. The highly convincing caller claimed their electricity would be disconnected within two hours.
Concerned, the homeowner insisted that their account was not overdue. The scammer responded by saying he would ‘investigate the issue’, but insisted that a R350 disconnection fee had to be paid upfront, which would supposedly be credited back to their municipal account the following month.
The couple became suspicious when they were instructed to send the money via e-wallet. What raised further concern was that the scammer knew their home address and even asked who was at the property.
They stopped a municipal vehicle and told the municipal officials about the situation. They were provided with the contact details of the head of the electrical department, who confirmed that their account was not in arrears and that no disconnections were currently being carried out.
The phone number provided by the scammer to which they must e-wallet the money was later traced using Truecaller, where it was identified as ‘Municipal scammers from Rustenburg’, suggesting that residents in Rustenburg may have been targeted in a similar scheme.
Residents are urged not to make any payments without verifying claims directly with the municipality and to remain cautious of unsolicited messages or calls requesting money.
• The municipal communications office recently issued a notice, warning residents about scammers demanding payment under the false pretext of preventing electricity disconnections.
