City of uMhlathuze warns residents of accounts scam

Scammers duping City of uMhlathuze residents into paying for accounts 'in arrears'

14 hours ago

Gugu Myeni 1 minute read

The City of uMhlathuze has warned of an ongoing scam targeting residents.

The municipality says individuals posing as municipal officials from the electricity department or financial services are contacting residents and threatening imminent electricity disconnections over alleged account arrears.

“Scammers are using several deceptive tactics to pressure residents into making immediate payments,” said the city on Friday.

Residents reportedly receive messages claiming technicians will be at their property within hours to disconnect services unless a payment is made.

“To appear legitimate, scammers may provide specific property addresses or claim to be working with auditors or credit control managers to ‘unflag’ accounts or ‘write off’ debt.

“We have also received reports of scammers contacting individuals regarding accounts for properties they sold years ago.”

Residents are urged to be vigilant and not to pay for accounts via e-wallet.

“No municipal official is authorised to accept ‘settlement’ fees via mobile money transfers.”

Residents are encouraged to verify information if they receive a suspicious call or message.

“Do not engage with the sender. Contact the municipality’s customer care service on 035 907 5000 or visit the municipal offices to verify account status.”

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