The City of Johannesburg has warned the public about scammers who are soliciting money from residents, claiming to get them houses in Lufhereng, Soweto.
The city’s Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso said the scammers who are impersonating him on social media TikTok, call on residents to pay R25 000 to get a house in Lufhereng.
“The fraudster asks for a deposit of R7 500 to process the registration and says the balance will be paid on receipt of keys for the new house after two days. I urge residents not to fall for this scam.
“The department does not sell RDP houses. I also want to reiterate that there are no housing allocations in Lufhereng this week,” Mabaso said.
However, Mabaso said, the department have a major project in Lufhereng and will open applications for rentals and allocations in the coming months.
“We are in the final stages of completing our big project in Lufhereng and we will be opening up applications for rentals soon. Any communication about housing matters will be on the official website or official pages of the Human Settlements Department,” Mabaso said.
Mabaso warned that people who pay to buy a house or skip the queue are just as guilty of crime as those who solicit the money.
“It is public knowledge that the government provides RDP houses free of charge to qualifying beneficiaries, so if you are an accomplice to the crime, you face arrest and prosecution,” the MMC warned.
In February this year, three suspects were arrested for allegedly creating fake social media accounts in Mabaso’s name to solicit money from unsuspecting people.
The victims were promised RDP houses in exchange for cash. The case continues in the Hillbrow Magistrate’s Court.
The department has urged members of the public to report to the police any person who demands money in exchange for a government-issued house or to skip the waiting list.
The public can also report fraudulent activities to Group Forensic and Investigation Service, Anti-Fraud and Corruption Reporting Channels at toll free hotline 0800 002 587, or Email whistle@joburg.org.za – SAnews.gov.za
