Warning
This
is a warning regarding a scam artist defrauding Telkom clients, and Online Directory
clients.
A scam which can cost
companies thousands and lead to an onslaught of harassment has reared its ugly
head again.
The so-called White
Pages scam, in which a private "advertising company” sends an email to an
employee or representative of a business, seems innocent enough at first. It
looks like a standard update of your company details for the Telkom white
pages, or an update for listings on our privately owned online directory site.
This Durban based
company has many aliases. Some of their names are White Business Pages, Telecom
Directory, Telecom 1023, Directory Services 2, Business Entries, Business
Pages, Telecom Listings and SA Online Listings.
None of the
aforementioned companies are intermediaries for the Telkom products, nor do
they have the authority or ability to renew, retain or delete listings on our
online directory.
Renowned consumer
journalist Wendy Knowler advises people who had fallen for the scam "not
to pay, certainly not without the receipt of a summons”. She writes that the
Advertising Standards Authority has alerted business owners to this
"apparent scam” after many complaints regarding the misleading "offer”.
We are agents that
facilitate the placement of your company details with the various Telkom
entities. We are known as intermediaries, and abide by a strict code of
conduct, as set out by Telkom. We are also the owners of Online Directory and
only our admin department have access to the publication section of our
website.
We have been intermediaries for the Telkom
marketing products since 1991 and we established our online directory in 2013.
For further information or queries,
our contact details are:
Telephone and WhatsApp: 064 531 2249
or write to us at: [email protected]. or [email protected]
Yours sincerely,
Mrs Roberta Sampson