A new scam has been detected in South Africa where con artists are selling alien plants and promising to buy back the by-products to make biofuel.
The KwaZulu-Natal government warned the public not to buy any plant or tree from people making the claim, who are charging between R50 and R500.
"We are warning the public to refrain from buying any tree that is claimed, or linked in any way to being a material source of bio-fuels," agriculture spokesman Zakhele Nyuswa said.
Read more from the WDM content network:
Attracting and keeping online shoppers in Africa
Africa's highest paid sports stars
Setting the standard for corporate sponsorship
Technology giant Siemens re-organises to excel in African industry sector
To read the latest issue of African Business Review, click here
"We have learned that there are individuals out there that con unsuspecting members of the public, especially rural communities."
The department says the scam is trying to cash in on people wishing to 'go green' and produce the sought after fuel.
Conmen are falsely promising to revisit buyers in 14 months to purchase the seeds, flowers, bark and leaves to make oil.
