Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has urged residents to be vigilant of housing scammers sending emails requesting money in exchange for a title deed in order for them to receive a house.
This comes after an applicant received an email advising that she would receive a title deed for a house in Watergate, Mitchells Plain, if she paid an undisclosed sum of money.
The city said beneficiaries who are asked to pay for an opportunity are being scammed and they are encouraged to report suspicious or illegal activity to the SAPS.
“We recently became aware of a case in which an applicant received an email advising that she would receive a title deed for a house in Watergate, Mitchells Plain if she paid a sum of money,” said the City’s Acting mayco member for Human Settlements, James Vos.
Vos said if residents are asked to pay to register on the City’s Housing Needs Register for a government housing Breaking New Ground (BNG) opportunity or a plot of City-owned land, they should know that they are being scammed.
“If the opportunity is advertised as a ‘RDP house’, you are being scammed. If the correspondence does not have a City letterhead, you are being scammed.
“Residents and applicants looking for government housing are encouraged to be aware of scams and if you think that you might have been the victim of a housing scam, please report it to the SAPS for investigation.
“These types of cases happen regularly and impact the most desperate, vulnerable residents,” Vos said.
He added that qualifying beneficiaries are reminded again that they do not need to pay to register on the Housing Needs Register or to receive a subsidy housing opportunity.
“The register, which is protected, updated and audited, is necessary to prevent queue-jumping and to provide opportunities in a fair, ordered manner. This is important given the acute need for housing opportunities across the metro.
“We have unfortunately been made aware of a number of these cases taking place in areas across the metro in recent weeks and months and we encourage our residents and beneficiaries to also contact the City should they be concerned this is the case,” Vos said.
Vos encouraged residents to visit this link to update their details on the Housing Needs Register: https://web1.capetown.gov.za/web1/HWL2012Online/
“Anonymous tip-offs are welcomed to help the City protect its projects and operations, and residents are encouraged to call 0800 1100 77,” Vos said.
IOL