PPE fraudsters milking Covid-19 crisis
THE Gauteng Health Department has urged personal protective equipment (PPE) suppliers to be vigilant after fraudsters masquerading as officials ripped off suppliers.
Last month, the government called on local suppliers to provide PPE to help cover the shortage. The items in urgent need included protective eye-wear, surgical gloves, masks and clinical alcohol-based cleaning disinfectants, and suppliers were urged to be vigilant of would-be scammers.
The provincial Health Department issued a caution to suppliers yesterday to be on the lookout for scammers masquerading as department officials with the aim to swindle them of their money.
Spokesperson Kwara Kekana said the caution came after the department and its facilities saw a spike in suppliers who approached the department to submit their invoices for payment only to find out that they were scammed.
“Fraudsters have taken advantage of the fact that the global efforts to slow down the spread of Covid-19 have resulted in a high demand for PPE across countries, including South Africa,” she said.
According to the department, victims of scams said the fraudsters allegedly sent a bogus request for quotes (RFQ) to procure different health equipment from companies under the guise of representing the department.
The department cautioned suppliers to verify the authenticity of a RFQ before they engaged with any individual or organisation which claimed to represent the department.
Kekana added that quotations were for procurement of items below R500 000 and that commodities which were worth more than this were advertised for about 21 days, open to all credible suppliers.
The department also advised companies to make sure they had an official and confirmed purchase order with the department before delivering any equipment. “Anyone who suspects fraud or a (dodgy) RFQ using the Gauteng Department of Health name and colours is encouraged to contact the Vuvuzela hotline,” Kekana said.