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Several major e-commerce marketplaces in South Africa which includes Makro, Takealot, and Bob Shop have been hosting dozens of listings for Wi-Fi routers that falsely claim to support mobile 5G connectivity, the scam was uncovered in December 2024 after an investigation revealed that the routers were actually low-end 4G devices, with prices often well under R1,000, making them appear as great bargains to unsuspecting customers.
A closer look at the devices’ specifications revealed that they were not capable of supporting 5G connectivity. Instead, the routers’ claimed mobile network performance was on par with 4G devices.
The sellers were using the term “5G” to mislead customers into thinking they were buying a 5G-capable router. However, the term “5G” refers to a mobile network technology that can run on various frequency spectrum bands, whereas the routers were actually only capable of supporting 4G connectivity.
After being notified of the issue, Bob Shop, Makro, and Takealot removed the infringing listings and explained to the sellers why the action was taken and also thanked MyBroadband for bringing the issue to its attention and said it was investigating the products in question.
The incident highlights the need for consumers to be vigilant when shopping online and to carefully check the specifications of products before making a purchase
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