Ho-ho-hold on: Don’t let scammers steal your festive joy, City warns

City launches awareness campaign during International Fraud Awareness Week to combat rising scam activity

As the festive season approaches, fraudsters are ramping up their activities, prompting the City of Cape Town to launch an intensive awareness campaign to protect residents from becoming victims of elaborate scams.

During International Fraud Awareness Week, which runs until Saturday 22 November, the City’s Ethics and Forensics Services Department has embarked on a roadshow to promote fraud awareness and the City’s dedicated fraud hotline.

The campaign comes as officials report a surge in scams targeting vulnerable residents, particularly pensioners, with fraudsters impersonating City officials and offering fake municipal services.

Fraudsters impersonating City officials

“During this peak scam season, we are asking our residents and customers to be fraud fighters and to always pause and verify before falling victim to the countless scams about at the moment,” said Siseko Mbandezi, the City’s Mayco member for finance.

The department has received numerous reports of criminals posing as City officials, particularly targeting water and electricity services. Common scams include WhatsApp messages claiming that for a fee, residents’ utilities will not be disconnected.

“These messages are fraudulent,” Mbandezi warned. “Do not pay anything. We get so many reports on scams regarding electricity purchases and cons where fraudsters are posing as City officials.”

Housing scams target the vulnerable

Housing scams have also become increasingly prevalent, with fraudsters offering fake City housing opportunities or demanding payments to place victims on government housing lists.

“Victims of fraud are often already financially vulnerable, in particular pensioners. Sadly, the money lost to these fraudsters is never recouped,” Mbandezi explained.

Digital dangers on the rise

In today’s digital landscape, scammers are exploiting technology to create convincing but fake communications that appear to come from legitimate institutions such as banks, the City, or other service providers.

Residents are urged to be particularly cautious when downloading apps from links sent via WhatsApp or SMS; clicking on unknown URLs; and providing personal information.

How to protect yourself

The City recommends a simple approach: pause and verify. Before responding to any official-looking request, residents should:

•Phone the relevant call centre directly using verified numbers;

•Never give out personal information through WhatsApp, SMS, or online requests;

•Contact the City’s Call Centre on 0860 103 090 for verification;

•Report suspected fraud to the Fraud Hotline on 0800 32 32 30 (toll-free).

Verifying City officials

If someone claiming to be from the City wishes to enter your premises:

To verify legitimacy: Contact the City’s call centre on 086 010 3089

To report fraud: Use the anonymous fraud hotline 0800 32 32 30

When reporting incidents, residents should provide details including who, what, where, when, how, and estimated value if known. Residents will receive a reference number for follow-ups.

For more information or to report suspected fraud, contact the City of Cape Town’s Fraud Hotline on 0800 32 32 30 (toll-free) or the Call Centre on 0860 103 090.