TMCnet News
Criminals pose as Telkom technicians(ENP Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) ENP Newswire - 21 October 2014 Release date- 15102014 - Criminals intent on stealing valuables from homes and offices are attempting to gain entry into premises by posing as Telkom technicians. Ms Jacqui O' Sullivan, Telkom's Managing Executive: Corporate Communication, says that the evolving modus operandi of the suspected criminals is of great concern. 'Telkom would like to alert customers to be on the lookout for these suspects who claim to be Telkom technicians. Upon entry, they steal laptops, cell phones, money and other valuables,' cautioned O' Sullivan. She adds that the perpetrators arrive unannounced and claim that they need to upgrade telephone and/or internet lines. While bogus technicians targeted other areas in the past, the most recent incidents have been reported in the Eldoraigne, Centurion area. The Company is also aware of incidents in Kwa-Zulu Natal; particularly in the Pietermaritzburg suburbs of Montrose, Chase Valley, Oak Park and Hayfields and the in the Western Cape in Parow. The Telkom Assets and Revenue Protection Services (TARPS) division is working closely with the South African Police Services in investigating these crimes. 'As a good corporate citizen, Telkom would like the public to become aware of these incidents. We would also like to educate the public about basic precautionary measures that could be taken so that they do not become victims of these alleged criminals,' said O' Sullivan. According to O' Sullivan, residents must demand to see the identity cards of Telkom technicians. Residents must also ask technicians to quote the relevant reference number that has been assigned to the customer for a fault repair or new installation before allowing them onto their premises. People who have not requested any service from Telkom should be particularly wary. 'These basic precautions must be communicated to every person who is likely to be at home during the day, including domestic employees,' advised O' Sullivan. 'At the same time, we do not want the work of our legitimate technicians to be unnecessarily hampered. However, should customers be suspicious, they can call Telkom on 0800 47 47 47 for verification of the ID card and confirm employment of technicians. Customers may also contact Telkom's fraud hotline on 0800 124 000 or contact the nearest police station to report their suspicions,' concluded O' Sullivan. ABOUT TELKOM: Telkom SA SOC Limited ('Telkom') is a full-service telecommunications provider for South Africa. The Company offers wholesale, business, residential and payphone customers a wide range of voice and data services and products, in support of the company's mission statement - seamlessly connecting people to a better life. As of 31 March 2014, Telkom had approximately 3.6 million telephone access lines in service and 475,144 ports connected via MSAN access. The company had consolidated operating revenue of R32.5 billion and profit after tax of R1,577 million for the year ended 31 March 2014, excluding the net curtailment gain. Total assets amounted to R39.4 billion and equity attributable to the owners of Telkom to R22.8 billion as of 31 March 2014. The group generated normalised free cash flow of R1.2 billion for the year ended 31 March 2014. The company offers business, residential and payphone customers a wide range of services and products, including: fixed-line retail voice services using PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) lines, including ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) lines, and the sale of subscription based value-added voice services and calling plans; fixed-line customer premises equipment rental and sales services both voice and data needs and these include PABX, Computers, Routers, Modems, Telephone handsets and other ancillary equipment; interconnection services, including terminating and transiting traffic from South African mobile operators, as well as from international operators and transiting traffic from mobile to international destinations; fixed-line data services, including domestic and international data transmission services, such as point-to-point leased lines, ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) services, packet-based services, managed data networking services and internet access and related information technology services; Data Centre Operations includes e-commerce, application service provider, hosting, data storage, e-mail and security services;W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), a 3G next generation network, including fixed voice services, data services and nomadic voice services; W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), a 3G next generation network, including fixed voice services, data services and nomadic voice services; mobile communication services, including voice services, data services and handset sales through our mobile brand called Telkom Mobile; Telkom Mobile is continuously expanding its Long Term Evolution (LTE) coverage. It is the Company's latest generation of mobile network technology that provides superfast mobile wireless broadband with low latency (or buffering) that gives users an unsurpassed experience for their everyday data connectivity needs. It is a step up from 3G offering up to 90Mbps download speed and up to 25Mbps upload speeds - approximately three to four times faster than current 3G speeds. It is an ideal option for use in areas where there is no ADSL infrastructure; and Convergence is one of our key strategic initiatives in building a sustainable future for Telkom. We will lead the provision of converged services in South Africa in support of our mission statement: Seamlessly connecting people to a better life. The Telkom Group consists of Telkom as well as two main subsidiaries, namely Trudon and Swiftnet. Trudon provides several directory service offerings off both physical and electronic platforms and Swiftnet provides a suite of services including traditional connectivity services for point-of sale, managed SIM services and customised wireless and wired Virtual Private Network Services. Telkom is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and has a market capitalisation of approximately R17.5 billion (as at 31 March 2014). For further enquiries, please contact: PYNEE CHETTY Senior Specialist: Media Relations Tel.: (012) 642 1716 Cell: 081 389 7874 Email: [email protected] or LEIGH-ANN FRANCIS Specialist: Media Relations Tel.: (012) 642 1728 Cell: 081 391 4780 Email: [email protected] (c) 2014 Electronic News Publishing - |