The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) aims to help the country’s people financially. They realized that this could be achieved by providing grants. The SASSA grants ensure the financial aid of only deserving people living in the country. Unfortunately, some fraudsters and undeserving people have illegally used SASSA Africa’s second-largest scholarship program to get benefits they probably shouldn’t get. When you don’t play by the rules, you’re bound to get caught!
Fraudsters listed by SASSA
The Post Office Fraud
Post Office is a widely used payment method in South Africa. The post office is not just a communication center but also a way of obtaining financial grants from the government. The post office is one of the most trusted payment methods and most people will transact business at the post office. But unfortunately, not all customers use this method to pay for their things because sometimes people are committing fraud by withdrawing grant money illegally through the post office.
Police in South Africa arrested a group of post office employees who committed fraud in the amount of R 10.1 million. The police say that the fraudsters stole deposits and money orders from their own bank accounts, as well as from other people’s accounts. They also managed to do it at a branch located in Komani, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Police consider this one of the largest fraud operations in recent years.
Fraudulent SASSA Cards
South Africa’s social grants system, the Social Security System (SASSA) has experienced a lot of problems in recent years. A report states that security officials caught 34 people withdrawing payments from other beneficiaries’ SASSA cards. They all were caught possessing around 100 SASSA cards. The money withdrawn was worth R100 000. In 2019, police caught 20000 people for illegal possession of SASSA cards.
Fraudulent Non-Qualified Beneficiaries
Many South Africans are getting large sums of money to pay for tuition fees and school transport. This is one of South Africa’s biggest grants: the Student Assistance Scheme for Students at Risk (SASSA).
SASSA Financial Loss
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has been suffering financial losses due to a number of reasons. The agency’s financial losses have prompted the Department of Social Development (DSD) to investigate the matter further. According to the minister, more than 1173 people illegally benefited from SASSA grants.
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) suffers losses of R 536 683 179 per day. The agency listed the amount on Thursday, August 16, 2019, and revealed it was in reference to fraudsters who stole 82042 cards. The revelation prompted questions since the amount of money that has been lost is tiny compared to the entire year’s budget, which stands at R 2.08 billion. SASSA is also facing a lawsuit by some beneficiaries who feel they were not properly paid as promised.
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has reported an R 103 000 loss in 2019 fraud cases. The agency’s CEO Gerald Goodall said that SASSA was working closely with the Hawks and other law enforcement agencies to investigate the cases. The fraud cases of 2022 are under investigation.
SASSA Fraudsters: Actions
If any person is caught in fraud related to SASSA, police will arrest him and take him to court. The court will decide the punishment for the fraudster according to his crime. Many people have gone to jail for five years, ten years, or fifteen years in the past decade for committing SASSA-related crimes. People are arrested because they tried using someone else’s account or gave false information on their application form. At least four people arrested every day are charged with fraud offenses and sentenced accordingly.
SASSA Grant-Related Fraud: What Should You Do?
SASSA should be notified immediately if you experience fraud with your SASSA card, such as transactions made without your permission.
Below are the instructions for reporting your fraud to SASSA.
- The first step is to receive the SASSA fraud affidavit form. There is a SASSA office or post office branch near you where you can get it.
- The form must be filled out and signed. The SASSA form can be mailed or emailed. The email address is [email protected].
Note: When you submit your fraud claim, make sure you have the following documents with you.
- A copy of your ID that is authentic
- SASSA card certified by SASSA
- A fraud affidavit must be completed by SASSA.
If you lose your SASSA card, what should you do?
SASSA should be notified immediately if your SASSA card is lost. A new card will be issued to you once your lost card is banned.
SASSA is happy to assist with any further inquiries.
You can reach them at 080060 10 11. You can also send them an email. [email protected] is their email address.
SAPO and police investigations
South African Post Office (SAPO) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) have been investigating these fraud cases in collaboration with SASSA. Every year, they discover millions of fraud cases. The cases of 2022 are under investigation. You may want to check on your postal account for suspicious activity if you get an email from us or if you notice any suspicious activity on your bank statement.