By Buziwe Nocuze
The City of Cape Town is warning residents not to fall for a scam in which thieves demand money for unpaid water bills.
A statement released by the City revealed that scammers contact customers via telephone or WhatsApp, claiming to be from the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate.
MCM for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, explained: “The scammers provide relevant property details, advising that the water to the property will be disconnected immediately due to the municipal account being in arrears.
“The customer is then told that, to avoid a water supply disconnection fee, a payment over R2,000 must be made via cash send or e-wallet.”
At least two incidents involving customers in Parklands and Durbanville have been reported despite their accounts being fully paid.
The City is worried about customers in debt, as they may be targeted into making payments to the scammers to avoid disconnection or restriction of their water supply.
Lulama Songelwa, a 45-year-old resident, said: “How did the scammers get hold of the property details? They must investigate among their employees to determine who is working with the scammers.”
Pictured above: Water running from a tap.
Source: Stock
