DURBAN - Private security company PT Alarms apprehended four men who were in possession of fake eThekwini Municipality electricity department letters believed to be used to rob residents in their homes.
This comes after a Phoenix family was robbed on Thursday morning by at least six armed men driving an NDM registered vehicle and in possession of a similar letter.
PT Alarms warned residents in the south of Durban to be wary of four men who were visiting businesses in the Jacobs area with fake eThekwini Municipality documents, which they were using to extort money while posing as municipal officials.
The company said PT Alarms tactical units responded and apprehended the four men, who had produced the documents at some businesses and then threatened to disconnect the electricity if they were not paid a sum of money.
One of the letters had an uMhlanga address on it.
PT Alarms said the eThekwini Municipality electricity investigation team and uMlazi K9 responded and the suspects were taken to Wentworth SAPS for further investigation.
“PT Alarms urges business owners, residents and domestic staff to take note of the scam doing its rounds. Inform employees, household occupants and helpers to refrain from allowing individuals who claim to be eThekwini Municipality workers onto the property unless their identity has been verified and you are aware of their presence,” PT Alarms said.
“If you are in doubt or are suspicious, please contact the police, your security service provider or the eThekwini Municipality to confirm their working status.”
Police had not commented by the time of publication.
On Thursday, the eThekwini Municipality issued a warning to the public about a fake letter bearing the eThekwini Municipality logo that is doing the rounds on social media.
“This letter is not an official correspondence from the city. It should therefore be ignored. The city believes the letter is used by criminals to dupe residents to open up their premises so they can later rob them of their belongings.
“We appeal to the public to demand identification cards that bear the picture of an individual and a service number as opposed to letters of this nature. The city has learnt with shock that this letter was used by unscrupulous individuals to rob one family in Phoenix. We, therefore, urge law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in unmasking these criminals,” read the statement.
Earlier that day, KZN VIP Protection Services spokesperson Gareth Naidoo had warned that the men could be robbing people in other areas after the Phoenix family was robbed.
Naidoo said when KZN VIP responded to the scene where it is believed that six men, all armed, approached the homeowner and stated that they were from the municipality and there was a query they were following up on.
He said the suspects were driving a white Isuzu bakkie with NDM registration and dressed in municipal clothing.
“The suspects then produced a firearm and forced their way into the home.
“An undisclosed amount of valuables were taken, as well as the staff who were working in the garden were robbed,” Naidoo said.
He added that the family and staff who had reported for work during the robbery were not injured. However, they were left severely traumatised.
“It is believed that the robbers had multiple forms as well, although the homeowner was only shown the letter with their address,” Naidoo said.
“There’s a chance they (robbers) are doing this in other areas too.”
Daily News