In 2018, Johanna Mamaila’s story made headlines across South Africa: the 50-year-old, who was living in an informal settlement in Mamelodi, was excited to move into her new RDP house. However, her dream soon turned into a nightmare when she discovered the house had also been bought by two other people. It soon came to light that Mamaila was scammed by a fraudulent property company, and it cost her R185 000. Sadly, RDP housing scams are a growing trend in South Africa, and Mamaila is