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By Citizen Reporter

Journalist


I’m afraid for my life, says Lebo Sekgobela after receiving threatening call

'It's really bad. I don't know what to do,' says the 'Lion of Judah' hit maker.


Award-winning gospel musician Lebo Sekgobela said she was afraid for her life after receiving a threatening phone call from someone who had been defrauded of R6,000 in her name.

Sekgobela took to social media last week to warn people not to respond to the requests being made by the hacker.

She wrote: “Someone hacked my phone and most of my Lebo Sekgobela social media accounts and is reaching out to all my contacts and social media friends urging them to pay a Durban July Gospel Festival registration fee of between R4,000 and R7,000 in order to secure a spot in their line-up.

“He/she has also used different stories trying to get people to assist ‘me’ with money urgently, and requesting to be contacted on the following number: 081 828 0546 (he may use other numbers).

“When you see such please don’t respond to it but rather report them to the South African Police Services. Please keep me in your prayers during this trying time and continue to support our ministry.”

It seems the hacker managed to defraud some of her followers, with one having paid R6,000 to the scammer. In anger, the victim reportedly threatened Sekgobela.

She told The Sowetan: “I’m at a point where I’m fearing for my life because I don’t know what kind of people have been scammed. It’s really bad. I don’t know what to do. I’m not someone that would trick people [out] of their hard-earned money.”

Another friend of Sekgobela’s from Lesotho reportedly deposited R12,000 into the fraudster’s account, while more than 50 people had paid various amounts of money into the scammer’s account, according to Sekgobela.

Sekgobela told the publication that MTN informed her that someone had successfully done a swim swap on her behalf. R2,000 was also deducted from her account before she could close it, she added.

Police reportedly told her those who had been scammed would have to open a case against her for investigations to proceed.

A case of fraud was opened at the Vanderbijlpark Police Station on Monday.

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