KZN police warn of govt tender fraud scams
Police have raised the alarm over a wave of tender fraud scams in KwaZulu-Natal that appears to be targeting the owners of small businesses.
Over 65 criminal cases have been opened in the province to date.
From the evidence they have gathered so far, the police's Thembeka Mbele says the scammers first send emails to the companies, telling them that they've been awarded tenders from various government departments.
She says fraudulent letterhead templates are used and the businesses are asked to supply a specific or unusual product.
When they search for these goods online, they're directed to fake suppliers who are part of the scam.
"After paying an amount of cash to the alleged supplier to order the items, the victims realised that they were scammed.
"The scam has been in existence 2015 and slowed down by 2020 after previous warnings from police.
"These scammers are targeting desperate small business owners who are still cementing their feet in their industries.
"We are appealing to community members to be aware of these ongoing scams and verify with the relevant governments department if they receive such requests."
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