The offices of Durban based private investigation agency Rick Crouch & Associates has been receiving complaints from residents about con-men claiming they represent Eskom once again targeting the elderly in the greater Durban area, claiming they can save them on electricity bills. They sell the victim a water heater for R550, insist on payment by credit card and not debit card. One victim later found his credit card had been charged R20,000.
These con-men say they are from a company called Sustainable Energy with an address in Moore Road in Glenwood. They are in no way associated with Sustainable Energy Africa in Cape Town.
“Everytime there is an increase in the electricity tariff these characters come out of the woodwork. The elderly are easy targets as they are on fixed incomes and are always looking for ways to cut costs. If you receive a phone call from anyone claiming they are from Eskom or eThekwini Municipality and they can save you on your electric bills hang up the phone immediately and do not engage them in conversation” advised Rick Crouch, Managing Director of private investigation agency Rick Crouch & Associates.
“Neither eThekwini or Eskom would contact you with that pretext. The reason they insist on a credit card and not a debit card is that there are daily spend limits on debit cards.” added Crouch.