3 Men Nabbed for Running Social Media Scams, Solicited Money in Exchange for RDP House in the City of Joburg
- Three men have been arrested after allegedly running scams on social media to solicit money from City of Johannesburg residents
- The men had created social media accounts pretending to be Mlungisi Mabaso, who is the MMC of Housing in Johannesburg
- Mabaso has cautioned residents that no official will ever ask them for money in exchange for RDP houses
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JOHANNESBURG - Three men are in police custody for allegedly scamming the City of Johannesburg residents into paying money in exchange for RDP houses.
The suspects ran the scam by creating several social media accounts using the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Housing in the City of Joburg, Councilor Mlungisi Mabaso's name to solicit money from unsuspecting victims.
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News understands that the three men were arrested in the Limpopo province. One of the suspects was apprehended by the police over the past weekend, while the other two were arrested prior to the main suspect.
"The main suspect was arrested over the weekend, a week after police nabbed his two accomplices," according to Thabile Mbhele, Deputy Director of Housing and Stakeholder manager.
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Mabaso was first notified of the scheme in July 2021 and subsequently filed charges with the police. The suspects even used the MMC's official credentials to run the scam.
The MMC has welcomed the arrest of the suspects and says it is a step forward in the fight against fraud and corruption.
“The arrests are a breakthrough in the fight against fraud and corruption and they send a strong message to those who are defrauding people that they will feel the full might of the law,’’ says Mabaso.
Government houses are not for sale
The housing MMC has reminded residents that government-issued houses will never be for sale. Mabaso explains that there is an allocation process that needs to take place and people have to be patient after applying for housing.
He also urges residents to report anyone who tries to solicit money for RDP houses to the police.
The suspects are expected to make a court appearance at the Hillbrow Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, 22 February for a bail hearing.
Young lady flexes interior of RDP home
In other news, Briefly News previously reported that A young lady took to a popular Facebook group to share pics inside her RDP home and she has left Mzansi captivated by her interior design choices.
Desire Magwa captioned her post:
"My RDP, I'm trying guys."
Desire shared three gorgeous pics of her home in the group Make Your Bedroom Beautiful With Thembi's Linen, which has around 1.3 million members. She showed off her lounge, bedroom and dining room.
Source: Briefly News
