A fraudulent investment and recruitment scam is doing the rounds in South Africa whereby fraudsters are using the name and logo of the company First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR) to convince consumers to invest in solar generator projects.
According to information released by First Solar, unsuspecting consumers are being solicited to rent solar equipment for a nominal monthly rental and deposit, and promised that they will earn an income for every kWh that the solar equipment yields each month.
This Nasdaq-listed, thin-film solar panel manufacturer has warned that it does not solicit investments through passive income schemes.
Any such investment or recruitment approaches using the First Solar name, logo or any other marketing materials are fraudulent. Consumers should be especially wary of unsolicited investment offers.
First Solar is actively monitoring the situation and considering legal steps.
First Solar does not back any such passive income projects in South Africa, nor does the company have a South African office or employees based in the country. First Solar is headquartered in Arizona in the United States of America and does not have a permanent presence in South Africa.
First Solar has emphasised that it will never solicit personal information via instant messaging platforms, request payments in return for job interviews or solicit participation in income schemes.
Official communication from First Solar will always come from emails ending in firstsolar.com and never from a Gmail account, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
Anyone who has fallen victim to this scam should contact their local law enforcement authorities.
