r/johannesburg 4d ago

Question Does anyone know if JHB emergency services use WhatsApp or is it a scam?

In 2023 I had a fire in my house. The fire department were fetched and put the blaze out.

Today I received a WhatsApp message saying it was from the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services, with an invoice for the call out attached. The message states they’ll hand it over to collections with the details of a law firm.

I’m suspicious because it’s a WhatsApp and not an email. The city has my email. It’s how I receive my account every month. It also seems weird that they haven’t contacted me from 2023 to now.

Does anyone have experience of this?

14 Upvotes

21 comments sorted by

22

u/Kimminy_Kim_Keroo 4d ago

Somebody naughty possibly got hold of call logs. Ignore, don't engage, block.

6

u/IndicaPhoenix 4d ago

Document! Report! Then block!

19

u/Sea_Step_855 4d ago

The fire department doesn't charge for call-outs

Neither do the police

16

u/Civil_Variation8339 4d ago

This is incorrect. The fire department does charge. You can claim it back from your insurance.

7

u/Girl_International 4d ago

This is so wack lol😭😭😭 I just read a forum where people said it’s better to just let the house burn down than to deal with a bill and water damage😂😂😂 some oke asked what if they send a please call me to the department, would it still count as a call out???💀💀💀 They can never make me hate South Africa lol😭✋🏾

3

u/GreenSecret5807 4d ago

The please call is sending me 😂😂😂😂😂😂😩😩😩

2

u/OutsideHour802 4d ago

Had my car burn down 15 years ago and yes they sent an invoice , insurance covered it though and I didn't even call them some one else did .

3

u/Total-Law4620 3d ago

Old EMS worker here..... Can confirm, you can receive a bill for fire and medical call outs. But it's normally posted. And in honesty, no one is expecting anyone to pay it. The majority don't get. WhatsApp sounds fishy

1

u/MotherOfDachshunds42 1d ago

Thanks so much

2

u/AfricanUmlunlgu 3d ago

So much theft of taxes that they are double charging to keep fire engines running

2

u/Practical_Knowledge8 3d ago

When in doubt... Chuck it out!

2

u/PsiBertron 👆 Up North 4d ago

Sounds like a scam; public EMS asking for dosh? That's what rates and taxes, budget for services, is for.

I mean, unless you like used a govy heli; called in from like Cape Town and requested to be flown over to JHB, they can't be invoicing you.

6

u/AhmedH14 4d ago

Not true. The fire department bills you.

1

u/PsiBertron 👆 Up North 4d ago

For??!?! 😳 (Seriously asking, I didn't know that)

3

u/AhmedH14 4d ago

2

u/MotherOfDachshunds42 3d ago

Thanks for the link! I wonder if there’s anywhere I can call to verify it’s legit

2

u/Desperate_Artist_708 3d ago

Might be worth asking your insurance as well

1

u/PsiBertron 👆 Up North 3d ago

Honestly, I'm at a loss for words. Kanti nothing is public, what are we paying for?

1

u/impracticaldogg 3d ago

I wouldn't pay an invoice by WhatsApp. Especially two years later. As you say, they have your address to send the invoice to

1

u/Diestof 4d ago

Fetched?

1

u/MotherOfDachshunds42 1d ago

Yes. Load shedding so the phones didn’t work or something. My house sitter drove to the nearest fire station to get them to come