The SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) has also provided the correct contact details where SASSA SRD applicants can lodge their appeals regarding declined applications.
The fake post, Tweeted by Thina Tanpeki reads as follows: All those who had their SRD (Social Relief of Distress) applications declined by SASSA, who stay around Eastern London or Eastern Cape, and the reasons give are not true or genuinely have no other source of income…PLEASE WRITE AN APPEAL & EMAIL TO…”
The contact details of a “regional executive manager” named Bandile Benson Magethuka and two “assistant managers” named Silumko Banele and “Zukisa Noyika”. The post includes telephone numbers and official looking SASSA email addresses for the three named individuals.
The post then goes on to read: “My advice, send one email to all of them, adequately detailing your APPEAL, and if possible, attach your bank statement which show the suspected amounts, and explain where the money comes from, as well as why it was sent into your account. You can attach an affidavit if you wish, then copy all the email addresses and send.”
“You can thank me when your appeal has been approved. Good luck & God bless you.”
However, SASSA shared a screenshot of the scam post and warned SASSA SRD applicants on its official Twitter feed on Friday that the post is “fake news”.
“The information below is false and misleading. Applicants of the special Covid-19 SRD grant who’ve been declined can lodge an appeal on the srd@sassa.gov.za website under the tab:’application for reconsideration’#SASSACARES “
