The City of Cape Town has issued an urgent alert to residents ahead of the festive season, cautioning them that scammers are stepping up efforts to target vulnerable individuals, especially those seeking housing opportunities.
According to officials, via the COCT website , reports of housing-related fraud tend to surge in November and December, with con artists exploiting social media posts, SMS, and WhatsApp messages to impersonate City officials and deceive people into paying for non-existent housing offers.
The City's Human Settlements Directorate emphasises a critical red flag: legitimate communication will never ask for money or personal details via informal channels such as WhatsApp, SMS, or social media, whether for housing, water or electricity.
