Sassa shuts down scam luring people to PEP for clothing vouchers

The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) has warned grant recipients about a fake poster doing the rounds on social media, misleading people to apply for free clothing vouchers at PEP stores. 

The poster tells members to take their Sassa card and ID to PEP stores and apply for a children's clothing voucher before November 4.

“Take ur SASSA card and ID to Pep and apply for kids clothes voucher before the fourth of November (sic),” read the poster. 

Sassa moved to shut down the claim, calling it “fake”.

The scam comes weeks after the agency announced that unemployed caregivers who receive their R350 grant can access it from participating merchants such as Pick n Pay and Boxer.

Previously, the agency warned of fake messages making the rounds on social media, claiming beneficiaries of the R350 social relief of distress (SRD) grant would receive a “triple pay” of R1,050 if they hadn't got payments in the past months.

“Attention. If you haven’t received your last R350 for the passed [sic] months. Many people yesterday received R700 Sassa and some received triple pay R1,050,” read the message, before directing people to a Google link.

Sassa said this was not true and does not come from the agency.

The SA Post Office (Sapo) also warned beneficiaries not to fall for a scam promising to keep them a place in the social grant line.

In a statement sent to TimesLIVE, it said it had “become aware of instances where self-appointed queue marshals ask customers who visit their branches a fee for a place in the front of the queue”.  

Sapo said this is illegal, and charges may be brought against those responsible.