The Western Cape Department of Human Settlements has warned residents to be wary of an online housing scam in which they are asked to pay for government housing assistance.
The Department says it recently learnt of a WhatsApp message being circulated, claiming to assist residents to get a house within two weeks. Residents are then requested to pay R2 300 for the approval letter and title deed.
Specific areas being targeted by the scammers include Khayelitsha, Stellenbosch, Montana Paarl and Mitchells Plain.
The department has stressed that residents should be aware that no payment is required to apply for a housing subsidy or any other related government housing service.
People are advised to report any of these scams to their nearest police station.
In September 2022, the Department issued a similar warning after a Cape Town woman paid R2 000 for a “housing approval letter” into the bank account of a fraudster on Facebook who posed as an official of the department.
