Fake tender scams: how suppliers can check a government order
You can tell whether a tender or request for quotes is real by confirming it yourself, through contact details you found independently, before you buy stock, pay anything or deliver.
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You can tell whether a tender or request for quotes is real by confirming it yourself, through contact details you found independently, before you buy stock, pay anything or deliver. The Government Gazette notice of 17 July 2026 describes a fake tender scam in which fraudsters send requests for quotes on what looks like government stationery, then leave the supplier unpaid or out of pocket for a deposit. Below are the warning signs, a numbered checklist and the people to contact.
In short: Treat an unexpected government order as unconfirmed until you have checked it with the organisation through contact details you found yourself, and do not pay money to win or secure an order.
What is a fake tender scam or government order scam?
Warning signs of a fake purchase order or RFQ
How to check a government order before you deliver: a numbered checklist
Who to contact to confirm a government order or tender
What to do if you have already paid, replied or shared details
Where an Authentikor check fits
What is a fake tender scam or government order scam?
A fake tender scam is a request to quote or supply that appears to come from a government body but is sent by criminals. A Government Printing Works (GPW) scam warning in the Government Gazette (No. 54995, 17 July 2026) says some companies and individuals posing as GPW representatives use the GPW letterhead to send businesses fake tender invitations and requests to supply goods and equipment.
The Government Gazette notice also says that National Treasury's Central Supplier Database (CSD) has launched a Government Order Scam campaign against fraudulent requests for quotes. In one scenario the Government Gazette notice describes, a supplier quotes, is told it has won, delivers the goods to someone posing as an official or to a fake site, and is never paid. In another scenario from the Government Gazette notice, the specification is so unusual that only a fictitious company set up by the fraudster can supply it, the supplier pays that company a deposit, and the company disappears with the money.
In a scam warning dated 9 January 2025, Breede Valley Municipality said scammers were pretending to be its supply chain management (SCM) unit when dealing with bidders and were asking suppliers for money before a bid or formal quote was awarded.
Warning signs of a fake purchase order or RFQ
Warning signs to look for include a request for money before an award, contact details that do not match the organisation's own, and pressure to deliver in a hurry.
The Government Gazette GPW notice (17 July 2026) warns that the contact person named on a fake letter may be a real official, while the contact details on the letter are not GPW's.
The Government Gazette GPW notice says the address given for the company behind a fake tender document turns out not to exist when searched online.
The Government Gazette CSD campaign text describes fake RFQs that ask a company to supply goods urgently, followed soon after the quote by news that it has won.
Breede Valley Municipality says it will not contact any service provider to ask for payment for a tender or formal quotation before the appointment letter or communication is sent.
Breede Valley Municipality also says it will not tell bidders SCM outcomes by telephone.
A request for money before an award is a warning sign whoever appears to send it.
How to check a government order before you deliver: a numbered checklist
Check every unexpected order through channels you control before you spend money on stock, transport or deposits.
Confirm the request with the department directly. The National Treasury CSD campaign text in the Government Gazette notice advises suppliers to contact the department to confirm a request, without using the contact details on the tender document.
The Government Gazette CSD campaign text advises comparing the tender details with the Tender Bulletin, which the notice says is available online from the Government Printing Works.
Check that the sender's email address ends in the department's official .gov.za domain, not a look-alike; the Government Gazette GPW notice says GPW's official email domain is @gpw.gov.za, that government email addresses do not have 'org' in them, and that the example address the fraudsters use is a look-alike that combines GPW's name with 'gov' and 'org'.
Ask for an order number you can confirm with the department; the Government Gazette GPW notice says GPW will never email a request to supply equipment and goods without a purchase or order number.
Check that any banking details are in the organisation's name; the Government Gazette GPW notice says the banking details on the fake documents are in a private name, not a company name.
Do not pay to win or secure an order. The Government Gazette GPW notice says government will never ask you to deposit funds for a business transaction, and the CSD campaign text in the same notice advises contacting the department's SCM unit if you are asked for a deposit to make a bid.
If you are still uneasy, the Government Gazette CSD campaign text suggests visiting the department, the delivery address or the business you will buy the goods from.
Breede Valley Municipality says each award letter it sends to a successful supplier carries the name and surname of its CFO or Municipal Manager, and that it does not rely on rubber stamps to authenticate those letters, so check the names on any award letter.
Who to contact to confirm a government order or tender
Contact the department or municipality that appears to have sent the order, using contact details you found yourself rather than the ones on the letter. Breede Valley Municipality's scam notice of 9 January 2025, for example, lists the municipality's own website and main number, and gives its SCM offices and an impartial hotline as the places to report scam requests. A familiar name is not confirmation, because the Government Gazette GPW notice warns that the contact person named on a fake letter may be a real official. Ask for the unit that handles procurement, and quote the reference on the request so it can be traced.
If the order claims to come from GPW, the Government Gazette GPW notice lists GPW's Supply Chain Management unit as a contact for reporting fraud involving the Government Printing Works.
What to do if you have already paid, replied or shared details
Stop further payments or deliveries, keep every email, letter and quote, and report what happened. The Government Gazette GPW notice says anyone who suspects they are a victim of this scam should urgently contact the police and inform GPW. Breede Valley Municipality asks suppliers to ignore such requests and report them to the municipality, and advises them not to pay anybody.
Where an Authentikor check fits
An Authentikor check helps a supplier prove its own quotes and invoices are genuine; it does not confirm whether a government RFQ is real. Authentikor's homepage says it puts a unique code on your emails, invoices and contracts, and that anyone can check that code on Authentikor's Verify page. Because the business sending the document adds the code, a request that claims to come from a government department is unlikely to carry an Authentikor code, so an Authentikor check will not confirm a government RFQ.
Authentikor's document sealing page says each PDF and financial document gets its own code linked to that document's details, and that a seal naming who issued it can be added; the page's example is a quote. The same page says the person who receives the document can scan, click or type the code and see what the document was issued for.
Authentikor's Verify page says that a 'Code verified' result means the code is valid and was issued by the company named in the result.
Authentikor's Verify page says 'Code not recognised' means Authentikor could not find the code you typed: check that you typed it correctly, and if you did, do not trust the email or document.
Authentikor's Verify page says 'Code expired' means the code was valid but its time is over.
Authentikor's Verify page also says that if nothing is found, Authentikor has no seal or code to show for it, and that this never means the document is fake; if a check fails, the page advises you not to act on it yet and to phone the sender on a number you already trust.
Authentikor's Verify page accepts a code from an email or document, a file or image such as a seal, certificate or email image, or a website address.
If a quote or invoice you receive carries a code or seal, check it before you act on it.
Questions and answers
How do I know if a tender or RFQ is real?
Look for the warning signs, then confirm the request with the department itself. Signs include a request for money before an award, contact details that do not match the organisation's own, and pressure to deliver in a hurry. Use contact details you found yourself, not the ones on the letter.
What is the government order scam?
A fake tender scam is a request to quote or supply that appears to come from a government body but is sent by criminals. A Government Printing Works scam warning in the Government Gazette (No. 54995, 17 July 2026) says some people posing as GPW representatives use its letterhead to send businesses fake tender invitations and requests to supply goods and equipment.
What are the warning signs of a fake purchase order?
The contact person named on a fake letter may be a real official while the contact details are not the organisation's, and the company address on a fake tender document may not exist when searched. Fake RFQs often ask for goods urgently and soon after the quote say you have won. A request for money before an award is a warning sign whoever appears to send it.
Who do I contact to confirm a government order?
Contact the department or municipality that appears to have sent the order, using contact details you found yourself rather than the ones on the letter. Ask for the unit that handles procurement and quote the reference. Breede Valley Municipality's scam notice, for example, lists its own website and main number and gives its SCM offices and an impartial hotline for reporting scam requests.