Public awareness of persistent housing frauds on social media platforms has been raised by the Department of Human Settlements (DHS).
Fraudsters make up a story to suggest that they work for the department and can help with housing applications for government assistance.
These assaults target people who have provided RDP homes for R100,000 around the nation.
The Department stated that in order to be eligible for a completely subsidized government house, applicants needed to fulfill certain requirements, such as being citizens of South Africa, being first-time homeowners, and having a monthly household income of less than R3,500.
The Department further stated that no agency is required to handle this on behalf of the government and that applications for RDP/BNG houses can only be handled by municipalities and provincial departments of human settlements.
As a result, residents have been asked to use caution and notify the Department or local governments right away of any suspicious social media profiles.
To confirm legitimacy and steer clear of such frauds, citizens should visit their local municipal offices or get in touch with the National Department of Human Settlements directly at 0800 146 873 or info@dhs.gov.za.
Other frauds to be aware of
The nationwide home fraud warning coincides with an increase in scams.
Customers have being warned to be wary of frauds ahead of Black Friday.
Typically, Black Friday scammers use heavily discounted pricing to entice customers.
However, these products don’t exist, and the merchant vanishes with the money from the customer after the sale is completed.
Social media is a common tool used by scammers to carry out this kind of fraud, with Facebook Marketplace being a favorite.
Scammers might send phishing emails that mimic well-known businesses or fabricate phony e-commerce websites. Consumers are then duped into providing their bank account information and personal information.
These websites could seem to be from well-known stores, but they have subtle, difficult to notice differences in their domain names.
Prominent South African banks, such as Absa, Standard Bank, Discovery Bank, and Capitec, have also drawn attention to the numerous frauds that are occurring throughout the nation.
A typical “courier scam,” for example, involves customers waiting for a shipment receiving a phony email or text asking for a minor charge to release their goods. Discovery Bank has issued warnings about this scam.
Usually, a payment link is included in these mails. The fraudster obtains access to the card details (expiration date, CVV, and card number) if the customer clicks the link and provides it.
Using the victim’s details, the scammer utilizes this information to make online purchases.
Clients may even approve a false payment with InApp authentication if the website looks secure and they believe they are paying for the delivery.
A warning about employment frauds was also issued by Discovery Bank, given the current state of South Africa’s unemployment problem.
This involves scammers posting job openings, particularly on social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
To get a job, victims are asked to pay a nominal fee. They can then be required to make additional payments or receive payments.
Usually, the money they get comes from other people who fell for the same kind of frauds, and the so-called employer directs that it be transferred to other accounts.
The digital bank has issued warnings against investment frauds, phishing, fishing, and loyalty program scams.
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