Beware: Johannesburg residents warned of Eskom scam
Residents across the Emfuleni area of Johannesburg are being urged to remain vigilant of an ongoing Eskom scam. The warning follows the discovery of a sophisticated payment scam targeting electricity consumers in Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark, and Sebokeng.
A fraudulent letter has been circulating throughout these communities, directing unsuspecting residents to deposit their electricity payments into an unauthorised bank account. Both Eskom and the Emfuleni Local Municipality have issued urgent alerts, confirming that scammers are behind these fraudulent communications.
'We've received several reports from concerned residents who nearly fell victim to this scheme,' said an Eskom representative. 'It's crucial that customers only use our official payment channels as specified in our 2024 service agreement with the municipality.'
Johannesburg residents should no longer fall victim to the Eskom scam.
Residents who require assistance or verification can contact Eskom's dedicated service line at 087 562 1982 or email elmdirectcustomer@eskom.co.za.
The utility has expressed gratitude to customers who continue to pay their bills through the correct channels, noting that timely payments are essential for maintaining reliable service delivery.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
7 hours ago
- The Citizen
Google rejects Meta's app store age-verification push
As Europe cracks down on online content for minors, Google argues Meta's solution would create new dangers instead of solving old ones. American tech heavyweight Google on Friday reiterated its opposition to verifying the age of a device's user through the app stores built into operating systems, calling a proposal from Facebook and Instagram parent Meta 'ineffective'. Age restrictions and the European regulatory push Limiting access to age-restricted content online is a live issue in Europe, with France battling pornography sites over its newly-introduced requirement that they check users' ages. Paris is also one of several capitals pressing Brussels to introduce Europe-wide regulations cutting off access to social networks for under-15s over concerns including addiction, cyberbullying and hate speech. Basing age verification on details from a device's app store 'would require the sharing of granular age band data with millions of developers… who don't need it', such as producers of uncontroversial apps like flashlights, Google wrote in a blog post. Risk to children 'We have strong concerns about the risks this 'solution' would pose to children,' it added. The search giant's Play Store is a part of the Android operating system, by far the most widely-used around the globe. Google said that using app store data to verify ages would also leave major ways people access content online unprotected for the underage, such as desktop computers or shared family devices. ALSO READ: Google takes issue with Competition Commission market inquiry report Apple — whose own App Store is loaded on every device running its iOS operating system, such as iPhones and iPads — has also pushed back against Meta's proposal. The back and forth 'The right place to address the dangers of age-restricted content online is the limited set of websites and apps that host that content,' the iPhone maker said in a February document. 'Implementing age verification at the operating system or app store level will help ensure that we create an ecosystem that's safe for teens,' the Facebook owner's safety chief Antigone Davis told Euronews in February. Meta has since launched a campaign for European regulation to require the measure. Europe's Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into force last year, says it is up to platforms like Meta's to verify the age of their users — not providers of operating systems or app stores. Google said that changing to the latter system — which has also been pushed by Pornhub parent company Aylo — would mean 'reengineering the protocols that have defined the decentralized web in ways that are hard to fully predict'. NOW READ: WATCH: Meta Teen accounts launched in SA
The South African
8 hours ago
- The South African
Police clamping down on drug mules at OR Tambo
Last night, the South African Police Service reported that three alleged drug mules were arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in one week. Two of the arrests took place on 10 June 2025. In the first arrest, SAPS intercepted a 30-year-old Brazilian national who had landed from São Paulo. She confessed that she had ingested more than 100 cocaine-filled bullets. 'Later the same day, police intercepted a 57-year-old Ethiopian national at the airport's check-in counter before he could board a flight out of the country. A search of the suspect's luggage uncovered over 90 kilograms of Khat,' said police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk. On 5 June 2025, a 42-year-old Nigerian national was arrested on charges of drug trafficking upon arrival at the airport. He had travelled from São Paulo and was en route to Nigeria. 'The drug trafficker landed at 07:00 when he was intercepted by police officers at the airport. A medical x-ray confirmed that he had ingested more than 70 drug bullets suspected to contain cocaine,' said van Wyk. All three suspects are due to appear before the Kempton Park Magistrates' Court on charges of drug trafficking. Last month, The South African brought you the story of a 39-year-old Brazilian national who was found in possession of R 1,4 million worth of cocaine wrapped around his legs. He too was intercepted at OR Tambo after travelling from São Paulo. He told police he was in transit to Benin. At the time, police reported that they were intensifying their efforts to clamp down on the illicit trade of drugs and they had made significant arrests. 'SAPS has intercepted more than 23 drug traffickers at this port of entry in the past six months,' concluded van Wyk. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
9 hours ago
- The South African
Nine arrested, four bakkies seized after looting of maize truck
Nine people were arrested for looting a maize truck that overturned on the N5 on its way to the Durban Harbour. Additionally, four bakkies that were used to load the maize meal were seized. The police were summoned to the scene where they discovered several community members looting and loading maize into the bakkies. Following the incident, more vehicles kept arriving at the scene and unlawfully removed the maize cargo. The Harrismith Public Order Police Unit arrested the nine suspects, aged 30 to 63, in possession of suspected stolen property. The four bakkies were loaded with maize estimated to be worth R90 000. Two police officers have been arrested for allegedly demanding a bribe from a liquor store in Harrismith, Free State. According to a police statement, the police officers visited the liquor store in March 2025 and presented themselves as officials from Bloemfontein. They claimed that they were conducting an inspection to verify the authenticity of the liquor being sold. After completing their inspection, the police officers allegedly demanded a R5000 bribe from the liquor store owner. The owner said that she only had R2 500, which the officers accepted. The Provincial Anti-Corruption Unit arrested the two suspects, aged 44 and 45 respectively, who are from Bethlehem Public Order Policing Unit. Captain Loraine Earle confirmed with The South African that the suspects appeared at the Harrismith Magistrate's Court today and their case was postponed to 18 June 2025 for them to apply for bail. The Provincial Commissioner of Police in the Free State, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane, said that they will continue their fight against crime, even if SAPS members are involved.' 'We will continue to fight corruption relentlessly. If those involved are from within our own ranks, we will not hesitate to take decisive action. No one is above the law, and we remain committed to ensuring accountability and upholding the integrity of the SAPS,' said Motswenyane. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
