The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has warned the public to be aware of fraudsters selling SASSA cards on social media.

This follows the discovery of a post by Thabiso Cele, who is offering to sell Sassa cards on the Facebook group “Ballito Jobs”.

The cards are offered at prices ranging from R600 to R1 200, with buyers said to receive R400 or R1 400 per month respectively.

SASSA’s acting CEO Abraham Mahlangu, warned that these cards are useless as the stolen goods were immediately deactivated.

“These stolen cards are worthless, so the public is warned not to be tempted to try and buy them,” stated Mahlangu.

Mahlangu noted that the sale of SASSA cards is illegal and criminal, cautioning the public to be weary of falling victim to fraudsters traps.

“No grants can be drawn from the stolen cards and anyone buying them stands to lose out. If caught, [you] may be charged with possession of stolen property.”

SASSA media spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi said that the agency is not involved in ‘any other business except the payment of social grants’, adding that it’s services are free and not for sale.

Lesatsi cautioned the public to keep their ID numbers, PINs and Sassa card numbers a secret, saying SASSA officials would never ask for money to issue cards.

Lesatsi further urged beneficiaries to report such incidents to the police or alert Sassa.

“Beneficiaries should call Sassa on 0800 60 1011 whenever they are offered any service relating to social grants for money, no matter how little the charge could be.”

VOC attempted to make contact with Cele via the number provided in the post, but it was unavailable.

The South African Post Office is currently working with the police to investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, SASSA’s Henry de Grass also urged beneficiaries to be mindful of the transaction fees associated with bank payments, after “several” complaints about money which has “disappeared” from their accounts.

De Grass explained that beneficiaries who have their grant paid into a bank account are often subjected to transaction fees, which include withdrawals or balance inquiries.

De Grass recommended that instead of using banks, beneficiaries should opt for retailers such as Shoprite and Checkers, some of which make provisions for three transactions free of charge.

De Grass added that SASSA is engaged in ongoing discussions with commercial banks to subsidise the transaction fees of beneficiary accounts.

VOC / Tauhierah Salie