Scammers strike gold with confusion around new Sassa cards

Fraudsters have reportedly been spreading false information claiming the Sassa card will not have money from August 1.


The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has been made aware of social grant beneficiaries being deceived to take fraudulent bank cards.

The fraudsters spread wrong information, claiming the Sassa card will not have money from August 1 and offering an alternative card, reports Tembisan.

READ MORE: PSA, lawyers meeting over Sassa ‘contempt of court’

Sassa assured all social grant beneficiaries the glitches experienced at the beginning of July had been resolved and their grant money would be on the new gold card as from August 1.

Beneficiaries have been warned to not listen to people giving them wrong information regarding the new Sassa card, and have been urged to make enquiries by visiting their nearest Sassa office, an existing paypoint or nearby post offices.

The new Sassa card swap is only done at paypoints, Sassa offices and the Post Office. The Sassa payment card has the South African flag on the left side, Mastercard logo on the right and bears the Sassa insignia at the top.

The new card has many benefits:

• The card gives the beneficiary three free cash withdrawals at merchants and one free cash withdrawal a month from the post office.

• One free ATM balance enquiry a month.

• All swipes are free of charge and it is Eurocard, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) compliant, which means it is accepted at all merchants and ATMs that display the Visa sign around the country.

• No illegal deductions (only 10% deduction of funeral policies will be allowed on non-child grants endorsed by the grant beneficiary).

Beneficiaries are urged to visit any Sassa office, post office or paypoints to get the new card as the old Sassa card will be fully phased out by September 30.

For more information, contact 0800 60 10 11 from 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday.

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