New fire extinguishers scam in Malaga

A NUMBER of licensed maintenance companies for fire extinguishing devices in the area of Malaga have been alerted to a new scam scheme.
Scammers have found a new way to get money from concerned business owners as they charge for extinguisher maintenance and refilling works which never take place.
“They came to perform an annual inspection and took the extinguishers with them,” said one of the victims: “The next day they asked for €55 for maintenance works for two fire extinguishers.”
INCOTEX, an authorised company which has been providing its services since 1981 in the Malaga province has alerted its customers to this new scam.
“The first risk is obvious: there are no guarantees that the extinguisher will work if it has been maintained by a scammer and there is a second one: owners can become victims of a scam after they have paid money for a non-existent service,” said Manager of INCOTEX, Francisco Fernandez.
Mr Fernandez explained the steps to follow if owners suspect they are being subjected to this scheme. First of all, avoid using agents or businesses to maintain the extinguishers who are not from an authorised company. Second, do not pay cash directly when asked for money and third, file an official report with the police. If in doubt, the companies recommend always checking with them first before letting anyone handle the extinguishers.