Be alert to RFQ email and phishing scams

29 April 2021

The City of Cape Town reminds vendors and members of the public to be aware of fake Covid-19 procurement-related Request for Quotations (RFQ) emails as well as other phishing scam attempts. In most instances, these fake emails appear to be from City employees, however they are not being sent from the City or its employees. Please report all scam and phishing attempts to the City’s RFQ help desk for urgent investigation.

The City’s Forensic Investigation Unit is aware of the recent scam attempts on some vendors and members of the public. Some of the scams may include Covid-19 related RFQs. We ask suppliers to please be vigilant and to contact the City’s RFQ help desk if they suspect any RFQ, purchase order or appointment letter to be fake or a scam.

The City conducts an investigation as soon as scams are reported. The City then reports to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further investigation.

‘The City is aware of recent scam attempts. As soon as a scam is reported to us, our Forensic Investigations Unit looks into the matter and once the investigation is concluded, it is reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further investigation. We urge suppliers and the public to report all suspicious emails to us urgently for investigation. If they are unsure if an email is from the City, they may contact the City’s RFQ helpdesk for assistance,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, Alderman Ian Neilson.

Remember
All City RFQs are uploaded to the City’s procurement portal, with the exception of urgent requests, such as Covid-19 requests or requests relating to emergencies. The City follows an open and transparent process in compliance with relevant legislation and National Treasury regulations, and we have a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and fraud.
 
The City’s Covid-19-related procurement is published on its website. For full disclosure on the procurement, please visit www.capetown.gov.za/coronavirus or visit the Supply Chain Management (SCM) Department page for more information.

For assistance
The RFQ help desk can be contacted at Eprocurement.rfq@capetown.gov.za or Supplier.Management@capetown.gov.za.
 
 
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office