• A new scam is impacting Johannesburg residents, with people lying that they are City Power employees in order to gain access to homes.
• The scammers are specifically using the latest installation of smart meters as a method of entry.
• City Power has shared a list of credentials that homeowners can use to check whether someone is a scammer.

There is a new scam that Johannesburg residents with new prepaid smart meters should be aware of. This as City Power scammers are falsely stating that they work for the utility service provider in order to gain unauthorised access to people’s homes.

The rollout of new smart meters began at the beginning of last year, and now City Power scammers are aiming to take advantage of this.

“City Power has said they are aware of scams where people used fake cards to gain access to properties and houses for nefarious reasons,” reads a WhatsApp message being circulated to ward councillors in Johannesburg.

The message also includes a set of questions and checks that homeowners and residents can ask City Power employees in order to ensure they are not poising as scammers.

In particular there is a valid card that would need to be presented in order to gain access to a home, and the smart meters specifically.

• A valid card should contain:
• The person’s full name and surname,
• Card bearer’s photo,
• An expiry date, and
• The name of the company contracted to City Power.

It is also advised that no worker is allowed to work with another person’s ID card

Furthermore, Green coloured cards are for meter readers, while Turquoise coloured cards are for meter maintenance or installations, and Red coloured cards are the cut-off teams, City Power clarified.

“If customers are unsure of the credentials of any individual, they should call City Power on 011 4907553/7911 to verify the contractor’s credentials before allowing them to enter the property,” the message advises.

“Also call: City Power’s Security Risk Control Unit on 011 490 7911, 011 490 7553, 011 490 7900, or by contacting the Metering Call Centre number at 011 490 7484,” it concludes.

We saw a similar scam being perpetrated in recent weeks involving water meters too, so this is clearly a scam nefarious method that is proving successful. In any case, you should not open up your home to anyone who seems suspicious or is unwilling to provide the correct credentials to validate who they are.

[Image – City of Joburg]