The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) is urging its beneficiaries to be vigilant against phishing scams. Recent reports indicate that scammers are attempting to trick recipients into revealing personal information under the guise of grant verification.
We would like to bring to your attention that there has been a fraudulent eKYC link circulating, which is being sent to beneficiaries to verify their information after grant applications.
Sassa currently disburses over 18 million permanent grants, including those for older persons, people with disabilities, war veterans, care dependents, foster children, and child support. Additionally, 8 million individuals receive the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant.
Sassa has temporarily suspended its eKYC (electronic Know Your Customer) identity verification system for maintenance.
Please be advised that the official eKYC system is currently down for maintenance, and we are working tirelessly with the relevant departments to ensure that it will be up and running as soon as possible.
Any communication requesting beneficiaries to verify their identity during this maintenance period should be treated as suspicious.
How to Protect Yourself
- Ignore suspicious links and messages: Do not click on any links or open any attachments from unknown senders, especially those requesting personal information.
- Report suspicious activity: Immediately report any suspected scams to Sassa through their official channels.
Sassa apologised for any disruptions this may have caused with their top priorities being the safety of beneficiaries and the trust they place in them.
Sassa will inform all beneficiaries as soon as the eKYC system is back online.
