Be vigilant when dealing with municipal officials

“While we all love South Africa, and it easily ranks as one of the most beautiful countries in the world, we can’t deny that crime is a serious issue all of us have the potential to face every day. This is why we should always do our best to remain vigilant, especially when it comes to our homes: our most valuable and personal spaces.” says Gerhard Kotzé, CEO of the RealNet property group.

“A new criminal tactic involving tampering with water meters has surfaced that targets unsuspecting homeowners. Security companies have noted that this trend is particularly prevalent in Johannesburg, especially in Craighall and the surrounding areas.

“The way the scam works is that individuals will arrive at your property posing as municipal officials and threaten to switch off your water and remove your water meter if you don’t pay an immediate deposit into their account to prevent this. When homeowners refuse, they proceed to dig out the water meter after cutting off the supply.

“Unfortunately, these criminals seem to have access to arrears information and are using it to pressure their victims into making payments long before their utilities would be shut off by the municipality in question.

“However, this is just one recent example of a broader trend where criminals impersonate municipal workers or maintenance contractors to gain access to their properties or extort money. There have been numerous examples of this all over the country, and in some cases, these criminals have even gone as far as to have access to ID cards and municipal uniforms.

“With this in mind, here are some safety tips for you to keep in mind as a homeowner to protect yourself from falling victim to one of these scams:

Make sure to always verify credentials: If someone arrives at your property claiming to be a municipality representative or any other official, be sure to ask for official identification information and contact the company to confirm their legitimacy.

Do not make payments on demand: Any legitimate municipal worker will not request immediate payments in cash or via bank transfers. They will contact you through your relevant channels to make payment.

Be cautious of unexpected visits: If you weren’t recently notified about maintenance work in your local area, you should treat unexpected visitors with caution and remain vigilant.

“It’s important to always keep your wits about you when dealing with who you allow onto your property. Criminal tactics are constantly evolving, but by remaining vigilant, you can significantly reduce your risk.”