The Member of the Mayoral Committee for Finance, Councillor Julie Suddaby recently released a statement after receiving various reports from residents about rogues pretending to be municipal contractors.
These criminals allegedly pitch up at private properties to disconnect electricity or water supply.
This can be stressful to ratepayers who are being hoodwinked, as it might not occur to them that these are scammers because they have the right look and carry the required equipment.
“One resident who was targeted by the alleged scammers almost fell for it. He said the scammers pushed the buzzer and said they were there to audit his meter and disconnect it,” Julie said in the statement.
“The resident phoned the City to verify the contractor’s credentials. The alleged fake contractors were armed with a bolt cutter when they pushed to disconnect his services if he didn’t offer them a bribe.”
When the criminals couldn’t provide any form of verification, the resident threatened to have them arrested.
“He said when they became overly aggressive, he called private security, which startled them, and they made off.
“When the City asked the resident if he knew they were scammers, he said he didn’t because their ID cards looked legitimate. However, what was questionable was that they didn’t have a job card or work order, and the fact that they were aggressive towards him.”
The City urged ratepayers to verify the identity of contractors who arrive at their doorstep to disconnect services, especially if residents have not received any paperwork from the municipality warning them of such an event.
There are several ways residents can do this:
• On Monday, February 28, a list of municipal contractors was published on the City’s website www.joburg.org.za along with their telephone numbers, to enable residents to phone and verify the contractor’s identity and work order.
• City Power will provide identity tags to all its contractors.
• Any documentation for work to be carried out on a City meter will be on original paperwork. If residents receive photocopied or sketchy documents, they should use the verification email to safeguard their property.
• Residents have the right to insist that contractors show them their name tags or company identification document. Visit the municipal website (www.joburg.org.za) to verify a contractor’s legitimacy.
• If residents are unsatisfied with the answers they receive from contractors, they should email logisticsreconnections@joburg.org.za for quick help.
