Businesswoman loses big in mask scam

AN Athlone businesswoman has lost R300 000 after she was conned into believing that she had been awarded a contract to supply nebuliser masks to the Department of Health in Pretoria.

The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she had responded to an email which she thought was a request to tender for 12 000 masks.

She went in search for a supplier in Airport Industria and needed a batch number to send to, what she thought was the Department of Health.

“When you deal with government they put you on a supplier database and emails come to you straight to your inbox and that’s what I thought had happened to me. I clicked on the email and I got the tender document, they called me, it was a Pretoria number and I was happy,” she added.

With the help of her daughter, she started making arrangements to have the masks made and delivered.

“My daughter helped me and we sourced a company called Mediron, in Manhattan Street in the Airport

Industria,” she said.

The businesswoman went to Mediron but became suspicious when she couldn’t find the supplier at the listed address.

“There was no signage. (While outside) I phoned the company and said ‘I just wanted to see what your place looks like’. They said ‘You can’t just rock up at our place, its lockdown we’re not going to let you in’, and that seemed like a legitimate reason because I didn’t make an appointment,” she said.

She went ahead with the business deal.

All seemed to be going smoothly at first: “They sent me the driver’s ID number and phone number and I spoke to the driver, the driver said he’s on his way. Pretoria phoned me back the next day to say your driver is here and we got the goods, and I got the second order,” she said.

The contact number for Mediron as listed on their website is diverted to a private cellphone number. A man who identified himself as Adell said that he was aware of the allegations that had been made, but they were not at fault.

“She actually owes us money because she diverted our trucks in Pretoria and now we need her to pay us,” said Adell.

When he was made aware of the case of fraud police are investigating, Adell ended the call and switched off his cellphone.

The businesswoman said she is hopeful of recovering some of her money, because a case of fraud has been opened with Capitec Bank where her bank accounts are held.

In a statement, Capitec said: “We are aware of the unfortunate incident … our forensics team are in direct communication with her and have made contact with the fraudster’s bank, who have since frozen the account. We are working closely with the bank to recover the funds from the frozen account.”

Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk said police are also investigating the matter: “No arrest has been made as yet and the investigation continues.

Anyone with any information is kindly requested to contact the investigating officer, Detective-Sergeant Carl Zass, at 084 201 9519.”