Nicolette Dirk
A WOMAN posing as a SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) employee scammed a 72-year-old Franschhoek farmworker for three months, using her Sassa card details.
Magdalene Davids said the woman called her in September, saying she was from Sassa’s head office and needed her card details as their system showed she had two cards.
“I only have one card, but the lady sounded so professional I gave her my card details. She said she also needed my ID number, which I gave to her,” said Davids.
When unauthorised debit orders of R300 went off her Sassa account, Davids went to Sassa’s Paarl offices to get a new card. Receiving only R1 310 per month, the monthly debit orders were a big blow to her, she said.
Davids also had to go to the police to get a sworn affidavit that the money going off her account was not authorised by her. “Even after I received a new card, R300 has still been going off my account.
“We haven’t even gotten paid yet and already another R300 was debited from my account for February. Staff at the Sassa offices said the person used my ID number for the debit orders. I don’t understand this because I have a new card.”
Davids said she was told by Sassa the money would be reversed and hopes it will be done soon.
Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi said these type of fraudsters are sophisticated and sometimes involve internal staff. “As with the case of Ms Davids, fraudsters usually pose as legitimate Sassa officials and pretend to offer a service.
“They request the beneficiary’s ID number and pin code and offer a ‘new’ Sassa card, insisting that the beneficiary is in possession of an ‘old’ and ‘outdated card’,” said Letsatsi.
He added that Sassa has instituted mechanisms to resolve problems of illegal deductions. Sassa received numerous similar cases of fraud in the last few years and many have been successfully solved.
“On December 30, 2015, 482 Sassa officials were subjected to investigation, where 313 officials were suspended, 56 dismissed and 18 officials had terminated employment either before or during the disciplinary process,” said Letsatsi.
Letsatsi said affected beneficiaries can go to the nearest Sassa office to register a complaint. “Sassa will then investigate the matter and where possible even refund the beneficiary.”
Letsatsi added that beneficiaries of social grants should never divulge their personal information, including ID numbers and pins, to strangers.
“Such personal information, excluding pin codes, can only be given to Sassa officials at Sassa offices for official purposes only.”