Locals fall victim to investment scam

GEORGE NEWS AND VIDEO - It's early in the new year and already overachieving scammers are on the prowl countrywide, and George is on their radar as well.

George Herald has recently received reports of an alleged scam involving individuals impersonating EVgo, a legitimate United States-based electric vehicle (EV) charging company.

These fraudsters are apparently deceiving people by offering fake investment opportunities in EV charging infrastructure, promising high returns to lure South African victims.

According to a statement by the legit EVgo, the scam operates by inviting individuals to invest in or rent EV charging equipment with the assurance of revenue sharing.

"They let you start with a minimum amount of R168," said a woman from George who lost about R6 000.

"You buy stations, and then you get a daily income from them. You have to recruit people to receive your payments, and if you don't, they fire you, and you lose all your money. Some people have received payments, but only up to a point.

"Then you need people under you. They have a PDF that they use - where the website has been changed. It is nothing like the real EVgo website. So many people have fallen for it and lost a tremendous amount. At the beginning of my investing, I was being guided by a woman called Edwina who said she was a project manager."

EVgo has officially stated that it has no involvement with these fraudulent activities and is actively investigating the matter.

"Please be vigilant, and do not respond to these communications or provide personal information, and do not send any money," reads the statement.

The scammers also encourage participants to refer friends in exchange for money. These offers are typically disseminated through WhatsApp groups managed by dubious administrators. Victims have reported issues such as blocked withdrawals and being silenced when raising concerns.

"I invested more than R34 000 in total. About two weeks after I made my last payment, I noticed that whenever someone asked about a payment on the WhatsApp group or called it out as a scam, they got blocked and deleted. I have also been blocked and deleted. They also use different bank accounts from FNB, Nedbank and TymeBank," the victim said.

Both victims from George have opened cases with the police.

If you have been targeted or have fallen victim to this scam, it is recommended that you cease all payments immediately, collect evidence such as screenshots of payments and messages, and report the scam to the police, the National Consumer Commission (email: complaints@thencc.org.za), and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA).

EVgo's official website is www.evgo.com and legitimate EVgo emails will only originate from addresses ending in @evgo.com.

If you receive a solicitation from anyone posing as EVgo or an EVgo officer or employee that appears suspicious, please notify them by email at support@evgo.com.

Charles Joshua's WhatsApp profile photo.George Herald reached out to one of the masterminds behind the alleged EVgo scam, a man going by the name of Charles Joshua. After sending quite a lengthy media enquiry asking about the scam being run under EVgo's name and the allegations that are being made, his reply was, "It's okay, our withdrawals are back to normal now. Recently, some members who were fired for maliciously creating fake accounts will try every means to defame EVgo.

"EVgo will also collect relevant evidence and eventually bring the defamers to court. Every member should look at this rationally and soberly. The income of each member's EVgo account is normal, and the withdrawal will eventually arrive. Please be patient," he said.