Be cautious of housing scams, warns City of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town has appealed to residents to be cautious when being approached about potential housing opportunities in the metro. This as many are out to make a quick buck this festive season.

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Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Carl Pophaim, said scammers often approach residents about housing opportunities in an attempt to steal money from their victims. He encouraged residents to report all suspicious requests to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for investigation.

‘’We are asking residents to be extra cautious this festive season and to always be on the lookout for too-good-to-be true housing opportunity requests, stokvels relating to City or Provincial housing opportunities and other similar requests. The City often receives enquiries from residents asking about the legitimacy of bogus housing related opportunities brought to their attention by scammers on social media or in person.’’

‘’Please remember that if any person asks you to pay for a housing opportunity including Breaking New Ground (BNG) homes and plots or to register on the City’s Housing Needs Register, it is a scam. In recent years, we have seen adverts on social media about ‘RDP homes’ for sale too, these were also scams. If you suspect you are being scammed or have been scammed recently, please report the matter to the SAPS urgently,’’ added Pophaim.

 

Done By: Esobusi Mkangelwa