Private security firms have urged homeowners in search of alternative energy supplies to be on the lookout for scammers looking to make a quick buck in the wake of unrelenting load shedding schedules.
PRIVATE security firms have urged homeowners in search of alternative energy supplies to be on the lookout for scammers looking to make a quick buck in the wake of unrelenting load shedding schedules.
Specialist investigator Mike Bolhuis said that, with load shedding becoming progressively unstable, South Africans have been forced to invest in alternative means of power supply.
This, he said, had also presented an opportunity for criminals who were targeting people looking for bargains in solar energy, generators and inverters to exploit residents’ desperation and swindle them out of their hard-earned money.
Bolhuis said scammers were employing aggressive and high-pressure sales tactics to rush consumers into making impulsive decisions by making impressive and striking claims to lure those who were unsuspecting.
In other instances, he said scammers exploited financing opportunities to deceive individuals.
Bolhuis said the problem was nationwide as there were many people in the country who used times of “crisis” to bring in products without the supply, infrastructure or capabilities to install them.
“They take photos of proper systems or existing infrastructure and present them to customers demanding a deposit for certificates or other items when they are not in possession of the goods, so people end up paying large amounts but never actually get the service or products they paid for.
“In other instances, you find that they do have the products, however they sell to too many people and then they start to default on delivering the products.”
This is not the first instance of solar scams. In March, the City of Tshwane municipality issued an alert to residents warning of scammers pretending to be city representatives rolling out a new solar initiative.
According to the municipality, the scammers’ modus operandi was to pose as contractors, travelling around in a City of Tshwane credit control contractor vehicle.
The “contractors” would allegedly take pictures of houses under the pretence that this was in relation to a “Tshwane Solar Installation Drive”.
Thereafter, the perpetrators would approach homeowners and request their IDs.
At the time, the city said the scammers were operating in Soshanguve, but warned all residents to take caution and not fall for the scam, as there was no solar installation drive taking place on behalf of the municipality.
The municipality reported that a solar scam was emerging at the same time as a new crime among criminals, where solar panels were being targeted.
In February, private security group Fidelity ADT also warned that as more homeowners were looking to purchase alternative power supplies, criminals were finding ways to take advantage of the situation.
The group indicated that solar panels were increasingly being stolen from properties, typically during the day while homeowners were at work.
Fidelity ADT added that criminals were continuously shifting and altering their patterns of behaviour, making it increasingly important for homeowners to keep up with security trends.
