Don't fall victim to RDP 'waiting list' scammers

The Gauteng human settlements department has warned RDP house applicants against scammers who promise to push them up the waiting list for a fee. 

Scammers produce “approval letters” inked with signatures of MEC Tasneem Motara and decorated with the department's emblems and other features to make the document seem legitimate. 

A man called Thapelo, who claimed to be from the department, had asked Lindiwe (not her real name) from Soweto to pay him R15,000 to have her name moved from the RDP waiting lists into the group of applicants who have been allocated houses for June.

According to Lindiwe, Thapelo had been using social media to advertise his skills of checking RDP application statuses and expediting applicants up the waiting list.

“I called him to check the progress on my 2010 application, but he said he could see my name on the government housing database and that I should pay him R15,000 to push my name up the list. I told him I was unemployed and the money I had was for my rent. I said I'd speak to my husband about getting a bank loan. But he kept pestering and rushing me to send him the money,” said Lindiwe.

She said in trying to convince her, Thapelo sent her a dubious “approved letter” that shows that Lindiwe's house had been allocated on a site in Lufhereng.

Lindiwe said she then noticed red flags, which made her reconsider her actions. 

“He became desperate. He even used three different cellphone numbers and a landline number to contact me and that's when I picked up that he could be a scammer. I then ignored his calls until he stopped,” said Lindiwe.

The human settlements department spokesperson, Tahir Sema, confirmed that the letter given to Lindiwe was fraudulent and confirmed that she had applied for a house in 2010 but has not received the subsidy.

“There are no records on the Housing Subsidy System captured and or approved under the name of the person mentioned [Lindiwe]. Lindiwe is not an approved beneficiary yet,” said Sema.

“The department further indicates that the emblems used on the 'approved letter' brought to our attention are not used in the department,” added Sema.

He further explained that the department does not issue an approval letter to qualify beneficiaries and all approved beneficiaries are issued with Happy Letters after being physically allocated to the house.

The WhatsApp number used by Thapelo shows a profile picture of the department's emblem and he claims to be from the department with the ability to speed up RDP applications. He also uses different pictures of RDP projects to lure his victims. 

A Sowetan reporter reached out to Thapelo and pretended to be an applicant who had been waiting for a house for years. After giving him legitimate names and ID number, Thapelo called back and said our reporter's details show that the journalist's name was in the list of people due who would be allocated a house in the coming months and said he will give further details about the application status once he has been paid his “tax” for assisting. 

When he was called again, Thapelo said he was too busy assisting other clients and he would call the journalist back, which he never did.

Sema warned that scams similar to Thapelo's were on the rise. He also cautioned that the department does not charge money for its services.

“The fraudsters use social media, including WhatsApp groups, to lure unsuspecting individuals under the guise of being government officials or working closely with government officials. The department is aware of social media posters and other documents that sometimes have the picture of the MEC of the department or other departmental officials. The department has reported and investigated numerous social media accounts that impersonate the department or the MEC, but new accounts keep popping up,” said Sema.

He also confirmed that there is a registered case against Thapelo that has been referred to their Anti-Corruption and Fraud Unit for investigation.

The department, in partnership with the Ekurhuleni metro police department, in May arrested a woman for a similar case.

“A member of the public walked into the department’s Customer Support Centre and confessed to the director that she had illegally collected more than R100,000 from multiple individuals.

She falsely promised to fast-track their applications for government-subsidised housing – commonly known as Breaking New Ground (BNG) or RDP houses – by claiming she could help them “jump the housing waiting list, said Motara's spokesperson, Terry-Ann VanEck.”

The department encourages the public to report any illegal activities by calling 0800 701 701 or emailing EthicsDHS@gauteng.gov.za. 

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