Criminals across South Africa are using COVID-19 fears to gain access to people’s homes.
Fears brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have presented an opening for opportunistic criminals, Government warned earlier in the week.
The Department of Social Development responded to a fraudulent letter circulating on social media, which claimed that officials linked to the Church of Scientology have been directed to offer door-to-door sanitisation in residential areas.
No door-to-door sanitisation offered by Government
However, this appears to be yet another ploy by potential robbers to gain access to people’s homes, capitalising on the coronavirus crisis.
In a statement issued out by Social Development, acting director-general Mzolisi Toni says the only agreement currently in place with the Scientology Volunteer Ministries involved the fumigation of the department’s premises and facilities.
“To date, the NPO has rendered free fumigation services at the Department’s head office in Pretoria, the Gauteng Social Development head office in Johannesburg and a number of DSD facilities in the Gauteng region,” he said.
“Unfortunately, due to the fact that there are currently persons calling door-to-door claiming to represent the Scientology Volunteer Ministries and carrying out ‘COVID-19 sanitisation’ on behalf of the Department, the Department and the Scientology Volunteer Ministries have agreed to terminate the fumigation agreement.
“The Department acknowledges the good work of the church but cannot be drawn into misrepresentation when the prime focus of the Department is on rolling out interventions to mitigate against COVID-19.”
Mzolisi Toni
Criminals getting creative amid COVID-19 crisis
Reports of criminals attempting to use the pandemic to their advantage surfaced shortly after South Africa recorded its first case of COVID-19.
This was after it emerged that opportunists were claiming to be sent by the government to administer door-to-door coronavirus tests.Yusuf Abramjee✔@Abramjee
Criminals are taking advantage of the #Coronavirus – Message as received.
In another particularly sad case in KwaZulu-Natal, a group of perps posed as South African National Defence (SANDF) soldiers to gain access to a pensioner’s home, where they allegedly raped and murdered her.
The brutal incident caught the attention of President Cyril Ramaphosa, who offered his condolences to her family earlier in the week.
“Our hearts go out to the family of Mama Ngenzeni Zuma who was raped and killed in KwaZulu-Natal last month by men who allegedly pretended to be soldiers to gain entry into her home,” Ramaphosa said on Monday.
Cyril Ramaphosa
thesouthafrican.com
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