Eskom Scam

Blue Security has warned residents to guard against an alleged criminal syndicate posing as Eskom and eThekwini Municipality employees that has been operating in the Hillcrest and Durban North areas.

Blue Security Operations Manager Brian Jackson said there had been two armed robberies in Durban North in recent months where gangs had posed as municipal workers arriving to read the electricity meter and in a separate incident in Hillcrest recently a man who claimed to be contracted to do “conservation work” for the municipality was arrested for trespassing after he was caught taking photographs of a property. Jackson said the company had in a separate issue also received numerous complaints about a company claiming to be accredited by Eskom and that offered to help residents save energy costs. However, he said it was unclear whether the company was registered with Eskom to provide the service.

Reaction officers responded to a complaint about the company in Pinetown this week. “In the latest incident this week three men arrived at a property in Voortrekker Street in a black Opel Corsa bakkie, claiming to be employees of a company that could help residents to save electricity costs. However, Eskom does not know of this company and our reaction officers together with a member of the Pinetown SAPS escorted the men to the police station for further questioning,” Jackson said. Jackson said Blue Security had recently received a complaint from a customer who had allegedly been repeatedly harassed over the telephone by staff claiming to be from the same company. “The staff of the company are apparently rude and arrogant towards residents over the telephone. The resident set up an appointment with a staff member from the company in the hope of telling them in person that the family was not interested in their ”services”. But when they arrived at the resident’s property they could not produce a business card or an accreditation card to prove they were contracted by Eskom,” Jackson said. “Unfortunately, the company has still continued to harass them with telephone calls.”
Jackson warned residents not to entertain the phone calls or give out any information about their properties or details about who was home during the day or arrival times in the evening. “If you receive a harassing call, rather hang up politely, and the caller will eventually get the message that you are not interested.”

“Do not give access to anyone who arrives at your premises claiming to be from Eskom or the eThekwini Municipality’s water or electricity department until you have seen correct identification and satisfied yourself that the visitor is genuinely an employee. There have been incidents of armed robbers posing as employees in the past so residents need to remain vigilant and call their security company and the police if they suspect criminals are posing as employees. By sounding the alarm residents can prevent others who may not be so alert from being conned.”