City warms suppliers against scam
It has come to the City’s attention that there are fraudulent request for quotations (RFQs) for the supply and delivery of 450 YESQTI REFLECTIVE JACKETS with an RFQ number: R02540/2019 that are being forwarded to service providers and suppliers. Supplier appointment letters are also being issued on behalf of the City of Johannesburg.
“The City would like to state categorically that it has not issued any such RFQ or supplier appointment letters”, says Kgamanyane. Suppliers are therefore warned to be on the lookout for these fraudulent emails, telephone and fax messages doing the rounds which are issued on fake City of Johannesburg letterheads.
Below are some of the pointers that suppliers and customers should be aware of:
• The City of Johannesburg’s email addresses always ends with @joburg.org.za. Any RFQ using a Gmail or any other email address is fake;
• The City’s logo appears distorted on the documentation;
• The contact details listed on the documentation do not belong to the City.
At first glance the document appears to be legit, because the scammers provide actual names of some of the officials working in the City’s Supply chain Management Department as contact people.
The scammers also request a three to four day turnaround time, whereas the City would usually request a much longer period, i.e. 7 days or more, to allow the suppliers to prepare adequately for their submissions.
Finally, the City of Johannesburg would like to distance itself from these bogus RFQs and supplier appointment letters that have been issued in this regard.
Tips for suppliers in order to avoid being scammed:
- The City of Johannesburg will only issue an RFQ on its official website: https://www.joburg.org.za/work_/Pages/Work%20in%20Joburg/Tenders%20and%20Quotations/Links/Quotations/Quotations.aspx and on its Tender Notice Board situated on the fifteenth (15) floor of the Metro Centre, Civic Boulevard, Braamfontein;
- RFQ responses can only be accepted when submitted in the RFQ or quotation box situated on the ground floor, Metro Centre, 158 Civic Boulevard, Braamfontein;
- All requests done via email address from the City of Johannesburg domain are below R 30 000.00 and are currently seldom done; therefore a fraudulent email address;
- The City does not send RFQs below R 200 000.00 via emails;
- No appointment letters are issued to preferred bidders for RFQs as these are only issued in terms of tenders;
- The RFQ value will never exceed R 200 000.00 inclusive of VAT;
- The RFQ will always have a landline number (i.e. 011 407 000) and an email contact with a Joburg address e.g.contact@joburg.org.za for inquiries; and
- The RFQ is only open to potential bidders for 7 days from date of issue.
The City of Johannesburg urges suppliers to verify with Group Strategic Supply Chain Management before submitting or responding to any quotation requests especially those received via email. If you have any suspicion regarding RFQs sent to you, do not hesitate to call the City of Johannesburg and ask for SCM officials on the following numbers: 011 407 7347, 011 407 6301, 011 407 6275 to verify the RFQs and to report any scam.
Alternatively, please report and suspicious activities on our Fraud Hotline number 0800 002 587.
Issued by:
Kgamanyane Maphologela
Spokesperson
Communications and Stakeholder Relationship Management
Group Finance
Phone: 011 358 3420
Fax: 011 358 3639
Cell: 0817073196
Email: stanmapho@joburg.org.za
