Scammers and fraudsters are everywhere and their new target is the SASSA beneficiaries. The majority of the SASSA beneficiaries are older people whether it is disabled grant applicants or war veterans. Scammers and fraudsters target these people because such beneficiaries are unable to understand the complexities of the modern SASSA grant system.
To prevent people from falling into the trap of scammers and fraudsters, SASSA has announced that people should not provide their details to any person on social media platforms, such as WhatsApp and Facebook. The majority of the SASSA beneficiaries fall into the trap of fraudsters on WhatsApp and Facebook. Recently, SASSA has warned the SASSA beneficiaries to be highly vigilant; otherwise, any of the beneficiaries can be the next target of scammers.
How Fraudsters Can Trick SASSA Beneficiaries?
The South African Social Security Agency has announced that fraudsters are spreading fake news about the special grants on Facebook and WhatsApp. The purpose of those pieces of fake news is to trap the SASSA beneficiaries in order to get their personal details. After an analysis, thousands of posts are uploaded on Facebook regarding SASSA grants, many of which are fake news.
On the other hand, these posts and the pieces of news are shared with people through WhatsApp channels and groups. These pieces of news and posts are designed in a way that people are unable to differentiate whether they are real or fake. If a SASSA beneficiary follows the instructions mentioned in these posts and provides his personal information to the scammers, he can face various challenges, such as SASSA account suspension or loss of money.
1. Fake News & Announcements
SASSA Beneficiaries often encounter fake news and announcements. The problem is that people consider this news true because posts are designed as the official page of the SASSA has posted. SASSA has a page on Facebook that posts updates and announcements, including the upcoming grant dates or why the grants have been delayed.
However, the fake news and announcements groups and pages frequently post about the special grants, early grants, and loans by the SASSA. First of all, you should keep in mind that SASSA does not give any special grant or early payment. Furthermore, SASSA does not give loans to the people. You should not believe any news or announcements by the unofficial groups and pages or channels on Facebook and WhatsApp.
2. Fake SASSA Agents
People frequently ask how they should react when SASSA call agents contact them. Some SASSA Beneficiaries claim that they have been contacted by the SASSA authorities on Facebook and WhatsApp. But as a matter of fact, SASSA authorities do not contact people through WhatsApp and Facebook. Moreover, SASSA has a policy to notify the people on the official website rather than sending messages individually.
Considering all these facts you should not provide information to any person who claims that he is an SASSA agent. In case, the agent provides you with details about yourself and then asks for anything, you should always end such conversations without providing any piece of information. If you give the personal details, you may face SASSA account suspension or loss of money in your account.
3. Grant Assistance
Another way to trick the people is by offering to assist them get their grants. There are groups on Facebook and WhatsApp where you can find people claiming that they can help you increase the SASSA grant. They also claim that if your account has been blocked because your application has been suspended, they can help you reapply and get your application approved.
Furthermore, they make you believe that if you have applied for the SASSA grant, your application can be processed faster if you provide them details, such as name address, and the OTP. According to the SASSA guidelines, there is no way to get a grant before the mentioned date as well as you cannot increase or decrease the amount of the grant with the help of an agent. Therefore, do not provide your sensitive information to any person on Facebook or WhatsApp.
4. OTP Links
The last and most intriguing way to trick the people is by sending them an OTP and then asking them whether they have received an OTP or not. You may receive a call or message on Facebook or WhatsApp and the calling agent will pretend to be a SASSA employee. He will ask for the details and if you do not provide them, he may add that SASSA has suspended your application mistakenly or the account has been blocked so provide the OTP that you receive to fix issues.
All these are the ways to get the OTP that you have received, so do not provide your OTP to the person or your account will be accessed by a third party. SASSA does not contact a person when the account has been blocked or the application has been suspended, you can learn about it on the SASSA official website.
How to Prevent Frauds on Facebook and WhatsApp?
- Verify Authenticity: Majority of the people do not verify whether the real agent is contacting them or someone is trying to steal their information. First of all, SASSA does not contact you and if you receive a call, you should verify who the agent is, or whether the announcement is real by checking on SASSA’s official website.
- Use authorized websites: Always make sure that you are using authorized and brand sites for checking your SASSA Status like https://srd-sassa-gov.co.za/
- Do Not Share Information: Never provide your name, address, ID number, and OTP to any person on Facebook or WhatsApp because your sensitive data can be used against you.
- Stay Informed: Always fact-check on the official website of SASSA. Never trust any post or message received on Facebook or WhatsApp.
Final Words
South African Social Security Agency works 24/7 to help poor people who are unable to manage their daily life expenses. It has a highly qualified team of developers who look after the security threats to the account of SASSA beneficiaries; therefore, the chances are very low that any attack can damage you financially until you provide the information to the fraudster. The SASSA team of developers is doing its task efficiently so it is your responsibility to be aware of the current trends and stay informed.