THE City of Cape Town has warned the public about scammers who are impersonating Human Settlements MMC Malusi Booi.
The scammers have created a social media page and a WhatsApp number with photos of the MMC, asking people to pay to get houses.
"The accounts have been created by scammers and we have reported the profiles to the social media platforms. We ask residents to please be aware of scammers pretending to work for the city and not fall victim to their attempts," the city warned.
The city said qualifying beneficiaries are registered on the Housing Needs Register at no cost. The city said the housing list is well-protected as it is also audited to prevent any queue jumping. It said people should not be fooled by scammers, promising to help them jump the queue.
ALSO READ: How to avoid scams on social media!
“Residents must remember that we will not ask them to pay for a housing opportunity, and we will not ask residents to pay to register on the city’s Housing Needs Register. If residents think that they might have been a victim of a housing scam, please report it to the South African Police Service for investigation,” said Booi.
He said the scammers usually lured their victims through Facebook. They then exchange numbers with them to continue with the chat on WhatsApp, where they ask the victim for personal details such as their ID number and address, promising to help them.
The city said residents can give anonymous tip-offs if they are aware of such illegal activities on 0800 1100 77.
