Pensioners become easy targets for grant fraudsters
Pensioners have become easy targets for fraudsters who steal their social grants on the eve of payments.
Pensioners have become easy targets for fraudsters who steal their social grants on the eve of payments.
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) confirmed that there were cases reported to them relating to fraudulent withdrawals being made on their clients’ accounts.
This week three post offices were broken into in separate incidents — in Durban, Howick and Glencoe — and Sassa cards and computers were stolen.
Sassa has since issued a stern warning to grant beneficiaries to be extra vigilant of the scam doing its rounds in the province.
Sassa Spokesperson Sandy Godlwana said there has been a noticeable increase in the theft of Sassa cards.
“The Sassa cards have been designed to protect social grant beneficiaries from unlawful deductions, however, there is an emerging trend or scam where beneficiaries’ funds are withdrawn from their cards without their consent or knowledge.
“It is suspected that this involves duplicating beneficiaries’ cards and then clearing out their legitimate accounts,” Godlwana said.
Sassa urged grant beneficiaries who fall prey to this scam to report the incident to their post office.
This week police recovered nine identity documents (IDs), nine Sassa cards and various bank cards from a house in Tongaat. KZN police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said an inquiry was opened regarding the discovery of the cards.
An 83-year-old woman from Greytown was defrauded of R3 000 from her grant in April. Her family said she always keeps her ID, Sassa card and pin in a safe place. When the family realised that the card may have been cloned, they visited the Greytown Post Office, seeking answers.
“We were told that my Sassa card had been blocked because it was reported as a stolen card to the post office. It cuts me to the heart to note that criminals have access to our money,” she said.
It turns out that those who cloned the card had initially reported it as stolen and thereafter applied for a new bank card at the post office.
The woman said she has now been advised to apply for a new card.
“I have asked my grandson to assist me throughout the process to apply again for a new card,” she added.
SA Post Office spokesperson Nobuhle Njapha said the matter is being investigated.
