City of Cape Town issues warning on rising housing and job scams

The City of Cape Town has issued a fresh warning to residents after a surge in housing and employment scams targeting vulnerable communities, stressing that no legitimate City housing opportunity or job application ever requires payment.

The City’s Human Settlements Directorate said fraudsters are using emails, SMSes, WhatsApp messages and social media posts to falsely claim that residents have been approved for housing or can secure placement for a fee. Residents are urged to pause and verify any such communication by phoning the Human Settlements Call Centre on 021 444 0333.

Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements Carl Pophaim said the City was aware of bogus messages purporting to come from the City or the National Department of Human Settlements, including emails sent from Gmail accounts.

“The latest scam involves emails sent from Gmail accounts, which is an immediate red flag,” Pophaim said. “The email informs residents that they qualify for Reconstruction and Development Programme housing opportunities in exchange for a fee.”

He warned that references to RDP housing should immediately raise suspicion. “The subsidy housing programmes used to be under the RDP, but this has not been the case for more than a decade. Any communication still using outdated terminology should be treated with suspicion,” he said.

Pophaim said most scam messages were poorly written, riddled with spelling and grammatical errors and, most importantly, demanded payment. “The City reiterates that City housing opportunities are free and qualifying residents will never be asked to pay for placement on the City’s Housing Needs Register, for the allocation of housing opportunities or for any related housing service,” he said.

Residents are encouraged to report suspected fraud to the City’s Fraud Hotline on 0800 32 31 30 or via email at [email protected]. The Human Settlements Call Centre can also be reached on 0860 103 089 or 021 444 0333, between 7.30am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. Beneficiaries are reminded to keep their housing registration details up to date through official City channels.

The warning comes as the City also flagged a circulating video on social media inviting applicants to register for employment opportunities within the Safety and Security Directorate, confirming that the video is a scam.

Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said all City jobs are advertised and applied for exclusively through the official e-Services portal. Applicants must register, activate the careers service, build an online CV and apply directly for vacancies. No politician is allowed to be involved in recruitment, and any attempt to influence appointments should be reported.

The City has urged residents to rely only on formal, verifiable communication from City officials and to immediately report suspicious housing or job-related messages.

Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel.

Cape Argus