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🚨 SCAM ALERT: Fake Tender Email from Godfrey.Kgathole@dcs.gov.za (Spoofed Address)
⚠️ This is part of a well-known tender scam circulating in South Africa. Even if the email appears to be from an official government address, it is most likely spoofed or forged to impersonate the Department of Correctional Services (DCS).
🔎 Why This Is Suspicious and Likely a Scam
| “Attached document” with urgent RFQ | Used to create a sense of urgency to make you act without verification. |
| Requests pricing on a product you may not supply | Real tenders only go to qualified vendors on government databases. |
| Language focuses on urgency and flattery | Common manipulation in phishing scams. |
| No listing on the official government tender portal | Real RFQs are posted on https://etenders.gov.za |
| You may be referred to a “preferred supplier” | That supplier is a scammer who will disappear after receiving your payment. |
🧠 How the Scam Works
You receive an RFQ and are told it's urgent.
You're encouraged to source the product elsewhere.
The scammers pose as government officials and give you fake supplier details.
You send money or pay a deposit to the fake supplier.
They vanish. You lose the money, and the government has no record of the tender.
✅ How to Protect Yourself
Do not respond to unsolicited tender invitations.
Verify tenders via the official government eTender Portal: etenders.gov.za
Check the sender’s domain — government emails should be from @dcs.gov.za, but even that can be spoofed.
Call the DCS directly using the number from https://www.dcs.gov.za, not from the suspicious email.
Never pay a supplier upfront without full due diligence.
📢 Report Suspicious Activity
To the National Treasury Anti-Fraud Unit:
✉️ fraud@treasury.gov.za
📞 012 315 5311To CSIRT (Cybersecurity):
✉️ cybersecurity@csirt.gov.za
🚫 Summary
This is not a legitimate tender.
It is a fraudulent attempt to trick you into paying a fake supplier.
Do not engage or send any quotes or money.
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