The Hantam Municipality residents are advised to use additional caution while dealing with a con artist posing as the municipality’s head of disconnection.
The warning was issued when a local citizen told the municipality that he had received a message on WhatsApp purporting to be Rodney Khumalo, the municipality’s electrical official.
In order to stop a prepaid meter from being blocked, the fraudster in the message requests that substantial sums of money be deposited into an unidentified bank account.
The municipality issued a warning to the public on social media, saying that they would never use WhatsApp to get in touch with a ratepayer or ask for money to be transferred into an unidentified account in order to unblock a meter.
“Only if you owe money on your municipal account and, despite our repeated attempts to reach you via SMS (sent directly to your registered phone number as the account holder), you refuse to contact us, will your prepaid meter be blocked. Your prepaid meter won’t be blocked till then,” said statement read.
It is mandatory for municipal officials to wear identifiable name tags or carry appointment certificates at all times.
