UPDATE ON PPE INVESTIGATIONS: IRS has been updating the public for some time no…

UPDATE ON PPE INVESTIGATIONS:

IRS has been updating the public for some time now to be extremely cautious when purchasing PPE products such as face masks, latex gloves, thermometers and other related equipment.

We have reported on cases and suspects who have taken funds from members of the public as well as from companies ranging from several hundred rand to millions of rands.

We have opened criminal cases against a number of suspects, had funds frozen and are in the process of making representations to the NPA to escalate the dockets and to change the charges to racketeering.

Our country is in lockdown and criminal syndicates are using this opportunity to commit fraud when people are at their most vulnerable and are desperate to obtain PPE for their families and staff.

Pictures and videos of purported stocks of PPE are being recirculated to victims by different syndicates.

Government must have a zero tolerance stance towards any fraudsters that have taken advantage of this pandemic to deceive people into paying across funds for PPE that is either non-existent, counterfeit or is never delivered.

Please report any suspect transactions directly to IRS.

*Pic via Google images.

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