The Western Cape Department of Human Settlements has warned the public not to fall prey to a new housing scam requesting residents to pay for government housing assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Department reported that it became aware of a Facebook account, \u201cRDP House Application 2022-\u201923\u201d, where scammers pose as department officials facilitating approvals for houses, keys and title deeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis particular Facebook account is but one of many online housing scams preying on vulnerable residents. Residents should be aware that no payment is required to be placed on the housing demand database (ie. waiting list), to apply for a housing subsidy, or any related government housing service,\u201d the department confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scams have increasingly been reported and appear on different social media platforms requesting residents to either: Pay a deposit or holding fee for a government house; to pay to be approved for a government housing opportunity; or to pay for the processing of an application, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In many instances, vulnerable residents fall prey to these scams in the hope of being assisted, or bumped up on the waiting list, for a government housing opportunity. In most cases, money exchanged due to fraudulent scams is not recovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe latest victim, that the Department is aware of, was scammed of over R2 000 by a certain \u2018Mr Mashilo\u2019 she met on a Facebook account. \u2018Mr Mashilo\u2019 presented himself as a Department of Human Settlements\u2019 official and provided various fraudulent paperwork as proof that the resident will be assisted with a house, said Khamiela August, acting head of the department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cResidents should be aware that no government official should ask you to pay any amount of cash for government housing services,\u201d she warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Residents should make contact with the Department of Human Settlements or any municipal housing office to verify and check a housing social media post or advertisement\u2019s legitimacy. Residents are further encouraged to report fraudulent scams at their nearest police station.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Western Cape Department of Human Settlements has warned the public not to fall prey to a new housing scam requesting residents to pay for government housing 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