Facebook used for ‘housing scam’
THE provincial Department of Human Settlements has warned of a fraudulent operation that uses an ostensible department Facebook page, which criminals use to lure unsuspecting people into a housing scam.
Spokesperson for Human Settlements MEC Tertuis Simmers, Ntobeko Mbingeleli, said the department had picked up several online housing scams that request desperate RDP house seekers to pay for government housing assistance.
“The department recently learnt of a Facebook account, ‘RDP House Application 2022/2023’, where fraudsters pose as officials facilitating approvals for houses, keys and title deeds,” Mbingeleli said.
He said a Cape Town resident was the most recent victim to be hoodwinked.
“In anticipating the receipt of a housing opportunity, she paid over R2000 into a bank account to process her ‘approval letter’ for a house in one of the department’s projects in Mitchell’s Plain.
“Residents should be aware that no payment is required to be placed on the housing demand database (i.e. waiting list), to apply for a housing subsidy, or any related government housing service.”
He said fraudulent social housing schemes had been on the rise on social media, and some of these requested residents to pay deposits or holding fees for a government house, payment for approval for a government house, and/or payment for the processing of an application.
Acting Human Settlements head Kahmiela August said: “In many instances, vulnerable residents fall prey to these scams. In most cases, money exchanged due to fraudulent scams is not recovered.”
She said the victim who was asked to pay R2000 had met a “Mr Mashilo”, who had posed as a departmental official, on Facebook.
August warned that to be considered for government housing, one needs to be registered on the housing database and to qualify for a subsidised house, one had to be a citizen or have a permanent residency permit, be 18 years or older, married or living with a partner, single or divorced and have proven financial dependants, and earn an income of R3500 or less, among other things.