Watch out – the account number is wrong

IF YOU RECEIVE a notification from the municipality by e-mail, check before you act upon it. It could save you a lot of bother.

A number of residents received an e-mail from “Zinhle Nzuza- znzuza@abaqulusi.gov.za”, advising them of a change in the municipality’s banking details. The municipality did indeed change banks last year in July, so why the e-mail was sent again, and only to a select number of consumers, is not known.

But it has emerged that the new account number that appears on the e-mail is incorrect.

The new account number is given as:

1066739770

The correct number is:

1067379770

The question arises: if a consumer paid monies into the incorrect account number, what would happen to it?

And at this time of rampant fraud, suspicions were raised among the consumers who got the e-mail. They suspected that their monies would be accepted by the account holder who would thereafter quickly disappear, cash in hand.

When asked, it was established that the municipality was aware of the e-mail, and the Vryheid Herald was referred to the AbaQulusi Municipality website, where the correct account number is given (but no explanation regarding the e-mail from Zinhle Nzuza).

At the time of going to press, Nedbank had not responded to a request for information, but it has been established unofficially that the false account number does not exist. There is no such account with that number at the Vryheid branch of Nedbank, so deposits would be rejected.

It’s a mystery.