Beware the ‘geyser scam’

I received a phone call from a young lady by the name of Dominique. She wanted a meeting to advise us on how to save electricity. I agreed to hear her out.
My first red flag was that she arrived in a shabby looking white car with two dark suspicious looking males in it. They duly left and she started her story by saying that she worked for a company by the name of United Thermal Technology. She could not produce a business card or pamphlets backing the products she was trying to sell. She then took ages to tell us what could have been said in five minutes. Naturally it involved us having to purchase certain types of geysers that “would save us a fortune” in the long run. She appeared to know all about the products and Eskom, and their future tariff increases etc.
Second red flag was at the end when she announced that if we purchased “x” amount of these wonderful geysers there and then, she would attain her budget and win a ticket to attend a green conference somewhere overseas. We asked that she leave her details with us, and that we would get back to her in due course – which of course we had no intention of doing.
I then looked up United Thermal Technology (in Johannesburg) and noted that they had nothing to do with geysers, or any electricity saving gadgets that Dominique had been talking about. I mailed the MD, a certain Mr Hannes van der Westhuizen and made him aware of what had happened.
He personally phoned me this morning to say it was a huge scam and to make it known to everyone here on the North Coast. This group were apparently from the South Coast, he thought that Nigerians were involved, and that he had investigators onto the case. He asked that this letter be published and should anyone else have come into contact with anyone claiming to be from United Thermal Technology, to please contact him on 011-474 2447 or to mail him on: hvdwesthuizen@metalspray.co.za
SANDY COUGHLAN
Chaka’s Rock