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By Velani Ludidi 
2h ago
Cape Town – A Cape Town businessman bidder says he has lost his life savings after falling victim to an elaborate Covid-19 bidding scam.
The man said he paid R87,000 to thieves who first posed as Cape Town employees and later claimed to sell government-approved masks.
The man, who asked not to be named because he is busy conducting his own investigation, says he received an email from the City inviting him to submit an offer, which was “approved” last Thursday in an email.
“I received a bid from the City for the supply of 8,500 masks,” he explained.
“Then I got them from a supplier called Milan Medical Suppliers.
“They gave me a quote and I paid R87,000, my life savings, into the account, which was half the amount.
“I have been in the cute game since the beginning of the year and I am always wary of scams.
“I have a suspicion this could be an inside job. The City’s acceptance letter even had the stamp on it. “
The city logo on the “recruitment letter” is pixelated and provides a Pretoria contact number, although the tender is for the city of Cape Town.
The man says he was supposed to receive the masks on Thursday, but went to the city offices in Cape Town on Wednesday to validate his offer and was shocked to learn that he had been scammed.
He then went to look for the Milan Medical Supplier address on Bolt Avenue in Montague Gardens, but there was nothing.
The man did not indicate how he found out about the medical providers in Milan.
On its website, the company says: “Milan Medical Suppliers is an acronym for African Medical Systems. We specialize in the sale of affordable hospital equipment in an effort to equip disadvantaged healthcare institutions on the African continent with the most advanced medical equipment.
“We are among the pioneers of the concept of professionally managed patient transfers in Central Africa; during this period we have managed to claim a substantial percentage of the market share in the sale of medical equipment ”.
When the Daily Voice called the company’s phone number, it didn’t work.
However, a woman responded to a cell phone number that confirmed they are in the medical supply business.
When the Daily Voice explained the reason for the call, he hung up the phone.
The City confirmed that its Forensic Investigation Unit was aware of the bogus emails and is conducting an investigation.
“The City of Cape Town is aware that a false Request for Quotation (RFQ) is being sent to suppliers in the City, asking them to respond as if it were sent from the City.
“Please report suspicious emails to the city urgently for further investigation.”
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