The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has warned beneficiaries about scam SMS messages doing the rounds, calling for beneficiaries to change their SASSA cards. Over the past year, numerous beneficiaries have witnessed unauthorised deductions from their SASSA accounts, ranging from airtime to electricity purchases. In response to the scam SMS’s, SASSA has now urged members of the public to remain vigilant during the upcoming festive season and have confirmed that SASSA does not communicate with beneficiaries via SMS.

Speaking to VOC’s Breakfast Beat, SASSA national spokesperson Kgomoco Diseko confirmed that SASSA has picked-up on scam SMS’s and Facebook posts telling SASSA beneficiaries that they are required to change their SASSA cards to what is referred to as the ‘green card’.

He says that the green cards provide criminals with access to SASSA accounts and beneficiaries will subsequently experience unauthorized deductions.

“Another possibility of giving someone your card is that they will give you a card that does not work at all,” he added.

Given the confusion around the prevalence of SASSA deductions, Diseko asserts that the SASSA cards can only be changed by a SASSA official at an official SASSA office.

He further confirmed that SASSA does not communicate with beneficiaries via SMS, but instead officially communicates via registered post and posts announcements to the media and the official Facebook and Twitter pages.

Diseko urges anyone who has been approached by individuals posing as SASSA officials to report them to SASSA and notes that beneficiaries must be not provide any unauthorised individuals with personal information.

“Beneficiaries are warned; you must not give anyone your ID number, your card number, your pin number, your SASSA card in exchange for another card, and do not talk to anyone at an ATM,” he asserted.

For all enquiries, contact SASSA on: 0800161011

VOC