The City of Cape Town is urging vendors to be aware of fake Request for Quotation (RFQ) emails that appear to be sent to them from the City or its employees. Please urgently report any suspicious emails to the City for investigation.
In recent weeks, the City has again been made aware that suppliers are receiving fake RFQs, including Covid-19 related RFQs. The City’s Forensic Investigation Unit conducts an investigation as soon as the City becomes aware of such scams. The City reports all scam attempts to the necessary authorities for further investigation and we also welcome any information about potential scams from the public.
In most instances, the fake RFQ emails include an attachment with City branding and appear to come from email accounts linked to City employees. However, these emails are not being sent by City employees. Keep an eye out for incorrect procurement templates, unfamiliar telephone numbers and contacts of City officials, as well as the use of strange reference numbers.
“If suppliers receive any suspicious emails, please report it to the City for urgent investigation. The City’s Forensic Investigation Unit is investigating. If vendors are unsure if an email is from the City’s Supply Chain Management Department, they may forward the email to the RFQ help desk before responding to the requests”, said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Finance and Executive Deputy Mayor, Alderman Ian Neilson.
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.