Statistics South Africa has warned the public of imposters pretending to be fieldworkers from Stats SA.
“The scammers are going door-to-door claiming to be profiling households. They request members of the public to provide their banking details and also to confirm if they have mobile banking apps,” said Stats SA of the scammers targeting communities in Giyani, Limpopo.
It is alleged that some members of the community have been robbed of money by these scammers.
In a statement on Tuesday, Stats SA said it does not ask respondents to provide their banking details or to confirm if they are using mobile banking apps.
“Members of the public are urged to be vigilant and not fall victim to the scam. The organisation has communicated its temporary suspension of all face-to-face data collection due to the latest COVID-19 restrictions,” it said.
This includes the frame update project, in which fieldworkers go door-to-door collecting contact details from households so that Stats SA can use alternative interviewing modes, including computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) and computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI), to ensure the continued provision of much-needed economic and social statistics.
“We are currently conducting a risk assessment to determine when we can resume face-to-face data collection. The public will be informed once this decision has been finalised,” Stats SA said.
Stats SA fieldworkers can easily be identified through Stats SA-branded bibs, Stats SA ID cards and introduction letters.
To verify that the person at your door is a legitimate Stats SA staff member, you can check online (http://www.statssa.gov.za/Fieldworkerverification/FWVerification.php ), contact the call centre on 0800 110 248, or your nearest provincial or district office.