The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Fuel retailer Total Uganda has flagged as a fraud, an advertisement running online calling Ugandans to deposit some money to receive Total gas cylinders in return.
The advertisement running on the website, totaluganda.com, says that for just 7,000 Shillings, one can receive a 6-kilogram cylinder while at just 8,000, one is promised a 13-kilogram cylinder. It is not clear if there are any Ugandans that have already been conned as a result of this advertisement.
Perhaps to disguise as a genuine channel, the fraudsters have put COVID-19 safety guideline on the website where they place a link that takes one to a page that asks you to pay for gas. The fraudsters say that one must have a valid National Identification Card and must be a Ugandan citizen aged above 18 years.
“You must have a phone number that can easily be contacted by the Total-gas distribution team anytime,” the advert reads. “You can only book either the 6 kg gas cylinders or the 13kg gas cylinders depending on your preference. Please note that the cylinder is already filled with gas.”
Now Total Uganda, whose genuine website is https://www.total.ug/ says that the advert was posted by fraudsters. Sheila Tusiime Mugisha, the Total Uganda publicist told URN that the advert which is also running on Facebook, is fake.
The company says in a fraud red alert to the public that “it is an unauthorized account distributing false information about Total and our products.”
However, one red flag that shows this is not a genuine promotion is that the payment options lead one to a Kenyan safaricom phone as the receiver of the money. The number +254768169701 is aptly disguised as belonging to the head of finance and procurement at Total Uganda.
After payment, a code is sent to your number but if one doesn’t get it, they “get in touch with our customer care in Uganda 0786544720.”
Also, Total does not market empty gas cylinders as one of the products it sells. On its website, Total lists refill and a full new set for the gas as on sale.
A refill for 6 kilograms is 57,000 shillings while a new gas-full cylinder for 6 kgs is 200,000 Shillings. For the 12.5-kilogram cylinder, the refill is 118000 shillings while the new set is 328,000 shillings. Total Uganda does not have a 13-kilogram cylinder as seen in the fake advert.
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