The City of Cape Town is warning residents to be on the lookout for skelms posing as electricity officials to gain access to their homes.
Criminals dressed in municipal clothing and carrying some form of identification operate by visiting residents at their homes and insisting they open their gates or front doors, so that electricity infrastructure can be checked.
When given access, the scammers rob residents, and in most cases, they target the elderly.
“We remind residents that the City does not have staff going door to door to check on electricity infrastructure without an appointment,” said Mayoral Committee member for Energy and Climate Change, Phindile Maxiti.
“When the City needs to do checks on electricity meters, officials will make the necessary appointment with the resident.
“Municipal employees must carry a work order number specific to that dwelling and a City-issued identification card.
“The ID card must display the City logo, the name and surname of the staff member or mandated contractor, and must contain an embedded photo of the staff member or mandated contractor.”
Suspicious behaviour must be reported to Law Enforcement, the City’s Fraud Hotline on 0800 323 130 or the police.
You can verify whether officials are employed by the City by phoning the Call Centre on 0860 103 089 and to confirm whether work is being carried out in you area.