Health MEC warns of bogus Facebook account

KwaZulu-Natal health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo has cautioned social media users not to fall prey to a bogus Facebook page which had been established in his name, complete with his photographs, purporting to represent him, South Coast Herald reports.

According to a statement from the health department, it had come to the MEC’s attention that the administrator(s) of the page is involved in fraudulent activities, including reportedly successfully selling a non-running car to an unsuspecting social media user.

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Unlike MEC Dhlomo’s official Facebook page, which is managed and run by the KZN Department of Health’s corporate communications unit, on the online impostor’s page the MEC’s surname is wrongly spelled as “Dlomo”.

The fake page also lists MEC Dhlomo as an employee of the Western Cape department of health, and falsely states that he studied at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, went to Cebisa Secondary School, and lives in Cape Town.

Although the fake page has been reported to the administrators of Facebook, it is yet to be taken down.

The matter is also currently under investigation by law enforcement authorities and an independent cybercrime intelligence expert.

In a rapidly changing media and communications environment, MEC Dhlomo recognises the value of social media as an agent of public empowerment through the dissemination of information, and exchange of ideas.

However, MEC Dhlomo will not tolerate the use of his name or photographs for nefarious purposes by any individual.

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