We’re all ears: Help fight online misinformation, scams and blow the whistle
23 June 2025
On International Whistleblowers Day, commemorated today, 23 June 2025, the City’s pioneering Ethics and Forensics Department calls on all our residents, and especially our youth, to help us fight fraud and corruption, online misinformation and scams by blowing the whistle on these acts and reporting suspicious activities to the Fraud Hotline on 0800 32 31 30 (anonymous tip-offs welcome).
‘Our world is rapidly changing and technological advances bring opportunities and challenges. One thing we can clearly see is the rise in online fake news and fraud, especially in scammers ‘selling’ City services or threatening actions if residents do not make payments to them. We also see so much misinformation in general being spread be it by fraudsters, those pushing certain agendas or through AI-created imagery and other content. The information overwhelm is also a real threat to our ability to keep our wits about us. It is therefore so important that we pause and assess and verify before we forward social media posts, check the source; look at the branding and email address and to look up any individuals mentioned on search engines to see if we can verify any information.
‘We are faced with loads of in-person and online scams to do with housing where individuals ask residents to pay them an amount to be placed on the waiting list – this is a scam as the City does not require payment to secure a position on the housing waiting list. We also see individuals selling City services such as water and power at their own prices and we get many complaints of threats of disconnection of services should a particular resident not pay to keep the services on. When in doubt, pause and assess. Then phone the City’s Call Centre to see if any facts can be verified.
‘During this Youth Month, we also call on our young people to lead in the charge against fraud and corruption, especially online fraud and misinformation. Help your parents and elderly family to avoid scams and misinformation by helping them to verify content they receive.
‘The City also has strong whistleblower policies and regulations and beside driving public awareness about fighting fraud and corruption, we continue to strengthen our internal systems to ensure that all allegations of fraud and corruption are investigated and that we uphold our zero tolerance approach against it. Whistleblowers are critically important as a means to detect and prevent the risk of fraud and corruption and we celebrate their contribution to our democracy and the wellbeing of our City and society,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, Councillor Siseko Mbandezi.
Blow the whistle – we’re all ears:
Pause, assess, verify:
Fraud Hotline: 0800 32 31 30
Call Centre: 0860 103 089
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
