There has been a sharp drop in accommodation scams in Sunnyside and surrounding areas, Sunnyside police said on Thursday.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Asnath Malatsi said this was the result of continuous police door-to-door campaigns to raise awareness of this type of crime. Residents had responded positively.
Police campaigns against the crime were initiated at the beginning of last year.
“This type of crime recently dropped to zero,” said Malatsi.
There were still a number of illegal advertisements pasted on trees on the corner of Leyds and De Rapper streets in Sunnyside.
These were the same trees that carried advertisements earlier, misleading people about accommodation that was not really available.
Malatsi said she believed the door-to-door campaigns made people aware of the scams and ensured they took measures to protect themselves. The campaigns would be stepped up in the beginning of January and February as the tricksters tended to focus on those months.
January and February usually see students from various provinces coming to Pretoria to study at local tertiary institutions.
Malatsi urged people to look for accommodation from reputable property administrators.
The most common scam was to show people flats about to be evacuated, presenting this as accommodation to be soon available. The criminals gave victims the date on which the flat would supposedly be available and ask for a deposit to reserve the accommodation.
Malatsi confirmed that police arrested a man in February in connection with the scam.
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