Eskom Alerts Customers to Rising Social Media Scams

Urgent Warning on Electricity Scam Tactics

Recent Advisory by Eskom: Eskom, the national electricity utility, has issued a critical warning to its customers, cautioning them against a growing trend of deceptive scams proliferating on social media platforms. These scams, primarily targeting prepaid electricity users, offer alluringly cheap electricity deals, luring unsuspecting customers into financial traps.

The Scam Mechanics

• Deceptive Offers: Scammers entice victims with deals such as 600 units for R300.00 and 2000 units for R400.00.
• Payment Methods: Unconventional payment methods, including money market, e-wallet, or CashSend, are preferred by scammers, offering them anonymity and making it difficult to trace transactions.
• The Trap: Customers are given 20-digit recharge pins with the last three digits obscured, promised to be revealed only after payment is made.

Eskom’s Cautionary Note

• Botse Sikhwitshi’s Warning: Acting General Manager for Security at Eskom, Botse Sikhwitshi, highlighted the scammers’ modus operandi. Post-payment, customers are either left with non-functional pins or the scammer vanishes, often discarding untraceable SIM cards.”The scammers… utilise money market, e-wallet or CashSend payments… hard to trace. Once the customer pays… the scammer will withdraw the deposits, leaving the customer with non-working digits or just disappearing,” Sikhwitshi explained.

How to Stay Safe

• Legal Purchases: Eskom urges customers to only buy electricity tokens through legal and registered vending points such as banks, retail shops, smartphone apps, internet platforms, and ATMs.
• Beware of Unverified Deals: Customers are advised to be vigilant and cautious, especially with offers that seem too good to be true on social media.