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đ¨ Warning: This Tender Email Appears to Be a Scam đ¨
The email you received from sibongile.mlangeni@labour-pretoria.online claiming to be from the Department of Employment and Labour is highly suspicious and shows multiple red flags associated with common tender scams in South Africa.
â Key Reasons This is Likely a Scam:
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Fake Domain:
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Official government domains end in .gov.za, not .online.
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The email address uses a non-government domain: labour-pretoria.online â this is a major red flag.
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Suspicious Tender Process:
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It encourages you to source items outside your expertise, which is not how real government RFQs operate.
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Genuine government RFQs require pre-qualification, registered vendors, and are publicly listed on the National Treasury eTenders Portal.
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Urgency + Vague Details:
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Scammers often create a false sense of urgency (âclosing date in 3 working daysâ) to pressure you.
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The product or service requested is not even specified in your message â another tactic to get you to engage.
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âAutomated Emailâ Disclaimer:
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This is a common tactic used by fraudsters to avoid responsibility and discourage replies that may expose the scam.
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â What You Should Do:
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DO NOT reply or send a quotation.
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DO NOT download or open any attachments if sent later â they may contain malware or lead you further into the scam.
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REPORT this scam to:
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The Department of Employment and Labour via their official site: https://www.labour.gov.za
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National Anti-Fraud Hotline: 0800 701 701
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BLOCK the sender and alert your internal team or IT security contact.
đ How to Protect Yourself from Tender Scams:
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Always verify tenders on www.etenders.gov.za.
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Confirm the email domain ends with .gov.za for any national or provincial department.
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Do not engage with unknown senders using generic or non-government domains like .online, .org, .co.za (for official gov use), etc.
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Report any suspicious tenders to the department directly using contact details from their official websites.
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