The City of Ekurhuleni has warned ratepayers about scammers contacting them demanding money to stop ‘scheduled disconnections’ because their municipal accounts are in arrears.

City spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said the scammers send customers a WhatsApp message requesting a payment be made through eWallet services in order to block the supposedly pending cut off of electricity.

‘It is important that you are warned as our trusted clients and business associates that this is a scam, and the city distances itself from this illicit practice. The city is currently investigating the origins of the scam and those behind it so that we can put an end to it,’ Dlamini said.

The city has urged anyone with more information on the scam to share the information with the city via the call centre, walk-in centres, or My COE app.

Dlamini also urged the city’s customers to take note of the following information to avoid becoming victims of the scamsters:

The city does not make phone calls to clients pertaining to service di
sconnection;

Clients will always receive a Pre-Termination notice at least 14 days after their payment due date has lapsed;

Should clients fail to make payment by the set date, the City’s employees with Ekurhuleni identification cards travelling in marked Ekurhuleni vehicles will do the rounds to disconnect conventional electricity users and live a disconnection notice with an amount payable for reconnection; and

Prepaid users will simply have their meters blocked.

‘Contractors will not at any point come to a client’s house to discuss any disconnection issues, they simply terminate the service from outside the property. Should this irregular practice happen, the customer is requested to report the incident to the municipality,’ Dlamini said.

Source: South African Government News Agency