Latest news with #Postbank
The Citizen
13 hours ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Sassa slams fake ads targeting job seekers online
Sassa said it is aware of the fake job adverts circulating online and urged the public to rely only on its official website for accurate and verified information. The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) on Tuesday dismissed circulating job adverts on social media as false. The agency responded to a post on X (formerly Twitter) that falsely advertised positions for 'Finance Clerks 2025' and 'Grant Administrators (x21)', claiming salaries of R22 412 per month with no prior work experience required. Both posters directed applicants to a website not associated with Sassa or any government department. The posts listed locations such as Sassa's head office in Pretoria, as well as vague references to 'selected Sassa offices in South Africa'. Fake adverts Sassa said in a post that it is aware of the fake adverts online. For accurate Information, the agency urged the public to visit its official website. 'Please note that all official Sassa vacancies are advertised only through our official website and trusted government platforms,' it said. ALSO READ: Sassa June payments begin Tuesday: Here's what you need to know Another scam alert Last month, Postbank issued a stern warning to beneficiaries to be vigilant for scams targeting individuals who use black cards and Sassa gold cards. It said that fraudsters have been impersonating its officials and visiting beneficiaries at home to steal their cards and PINs. According to the bank, the scam reportedly involves criminals pretending to be Postbank employees, sometimes wearing branded clothing or arriving in marked vehicles, to deceive beneficiaries. Victims are reportedly told their cards need to be 'fixed' or risk losing future grant payments if they do not comply. 'Beneficiaries are then duped into handing over their Postbank grant cards and PIN information,' Postbank said. No home visits Postbank reminded beneficiaries that it does not conduct unsolicited home visits. 'Postbank will never visit your home unless you have requested that through the necessary home visits channels,' it said. It also stressed that 'Postbank will never ask you for your card PIN as that is against banking rules.' Beneficiaries are advised not to share their PINs, even with someone claiming to be a Postbank official. NOW READ: Sassa scam alert: 'Postbank will never ask you for your card PIN'
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Pensioner loses over R8000 of her Sassa grant
QUESTIONS have been raised about the recent programme launched by Postbank and the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) to transition from old cards to a new card system. Also read: No double grant payments for June, Sassa confirms The mounting concerns come after an 84-year-old pensioner has been left without her social grant for three consecutive months after her pension card was allegedly cloned during the transition to the new Postbank card system. Laurel Prangley from Montclair has had a total of R8400 fraudulently withdrawn from her account at various locations, including a recent withdrawal of R2700 in Richards Bay without her knowledge or authorisation. Despite repeated attempts by her family to report the issue to Sassa and Postbank, the matter remains unresolved. Prangley's grant has not been reinstated. Her daughter Rene Gleisner said the problem was discovered in February when her husband attempted to withdraw the pension, and received a slip indicating insufficient funds. 'I called Sassa immediately to report the matter and asked them to block the card, but they failed to do so. In March, the money was withdrawn again, and then again in April,' she said. In February this year, Sassa and Postbank announced the transition from the gold card to a new black card system. She believes the fraud may be linked to the card transition process. 'It's suspicious that this started while I was changing my mother's Sassa gold card to the new black Postbank card,' she said. The card was allegedly cloned in Chatsworth The family had visited Chatsworth shopping centre, where two employees believed to be Sassa officials were assisting beneficiaries with the card switchover. 'I followed all the procedures and was told her next grant payment would be deposited into the new account. That never happened. I reported the card again last week to the fraud helpline, and they assured me that it has been blocked,' she added. The ordeal has taken a toll on the elderly woman's health and dignity. 'She has a disability and relies on her grant to purchase medication. We've been passed from pillar to post without any resolution,' said her daughter. Authorities have yet to confirm how the card was cloned, but in February Sassa issued warnings about ongoing scams targeting pensioners receiving payments at the post office. Prangley's family is calling on Sassa to act swiftly to secure her account and reimburse the stolen funds. They say the financial strain of covering her medication and personal expenses is becoming unsustainable. Sassa issues advice to the affected family KZN spokesperson for Sassa, Sandy Godlwana, said the customer care will follow up and investigate. 'They will advise the client accordingly how she can be assisted. The gold card though is a Postbank card,' she said. Godlwana said the client needs to: Report immediately, go to her bank Make an affidavit at a police station Visit Postbank to report the incident in detail. Attempts to get a comment from Postbank were unsuccessful. For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Postbank responds to card cloning scam
POSTBANK has issued an urgent advisory to all social grant beneficiaries following an increase in reports of card cloning fraud. The bank is calling on affected individuals to immediately report any suspicious activity or suspected card cloning to its fraud department. This comes after an 84-year-old pensioner from Montclair lost R8400 of her grant in a suspected card cloning scam. The SUN published a story about Laurel Prangley's financial loss last week. To read more click here. Also read: Help spread the warmth with Pick n Pay's Soup for South Africa campaign Postbank has urged grant beneficiaries to report suspected fraud and unauthorised transactions directly to its fraud department, which is responsible for investigating and resolving such matters. 'Postbank has implemented a multi-layered fraud prevention framework aligned with banking industry standards and legal requirements under the Banks Act and the Financial Intelligence Centre Act. This includes card chip security, internal controls, and ongoing customer due diligence. 'The creation of robust customer awareness is also amongst the initiatives we are undertaking, given that some bank fraud incidents are perpetrated by criminals through scams that take advantage of customers,' read the statement. Prangley's daughter Rene Gleisner told The SUN that the issue was discovered in February when her husband attempted to withdraw the pension from an ATM but received a slip indicating insufficient funds. She believes the fraud may be linked to the card transition process. 'It's suspicious that this started while I was changing my mother's Sassa gold card to the new black Postbank card,' she said. The family had visited Chatsworth shopping centre early this year, where two employees believed to be Sassa officials were assisting beneficiaries with the card switchover. Also read: Pressure mounts for surveillance cameras in crime hotspot areas However, Postbank stated that it has not yet received a formal complaint from either the pensioner or her daughter. 'No formal report has been submitted to the Postbank fraud department regarding Prangley's card. As such, we cannot confirm any deactivation until the appropriate process has been followed. We have contacted the client and advised her to complete necessary documentation in line with our internal processes to enable necessary investigations,' said Postbank. Postbank said once an investigation is initiated they: Take various remedial steps including blocking the compromised card, Issue a replacement card, and safeguarding account credentials. 'These steps are guided by internal fraud protocols and customer protection measures,' Postbank said in a statement. In February, Sassa and Postbank announced the transition from the gold card to a new black card system. Postbank could not comment on whether Prangle's ID or card details had been cloned or compromised during the card migration process. 'This possibility cannot be confirmed without a formal report and investigation. However, the card migration process adheres to stringent encryption and security protocols, including Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and chip-based security features, to mitigate cloning risks,' Postbank said. What steps are being taken to ensure the pensioner receives her next grant payment securely? Once a report is received, Postbank can implement remedial actions such as account or card blocking, issue a new card, and ensure secure disbursement of future grants. Is it possible to issue a new card with a different account number immediately? Once an investigation is initiated, Postbank takes various remedial steps including blocking the compromised card, issuing a replacement card, and safeguarding account credentials. What is the expected timeline for resolving such issues? Clients typically receive an acknowledgement and reference number within 48 hours of submitting a valid complaint. The overall resolution timeframe depends on the complexity and available evidence, but regular updates are provided throughout the process. Does the client receive updates or reference numbers during the investigation? Once a case is formally lodged, Postbank will issue a reference number and provide ongoing updates to the client throughout the investigation, in line with our customer communication protocols and conduct standards. For any suspected fraudulent activities, the public are urged to: Report to Postbank's fraud team via fraud@ Or call fraud hotline on 0800 53 54 55. Postbank advised clients who are not satisfied with the outcome of their investigation to escalate the matter to the National Financial Ombudsman. For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The South African
3 days ago
- The South African
Fraud warning for SASSA black and gold card holders
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and Postbank have warned social grant beneficiaries to stay vigilant against a rising wave of fraud targeting holders of both the black Postbank cards and gold SASSA cards. Fraudsters reportedly visit SASSA beneficiaries at their homes while posing as Postbank officials. These imposters deceive individuals into handing over their cards and PINs under false pretences, often claiming that the cards are faulty or that future payments will be blocked unless the information is provided. 'There is nothing that requires fixing on any of its black cards and SASSA gold cards,' Postbank confirmed in a statement. 'Both cards will continue to work beyond 31 May 2025 for the payments of their grants.' The criminals often wear uniforms and drive branded vehicles to appear legitimate. They typically arrive without appointments and insist on accessing SASSA beneficiaries' card PINs, an action that Postbank strongly condemns. Postbank has issued clear advice to help communities deal with suspicious activity: Alert neighbours discreetly and contact the police immediately. Report any such incidents to Postbank at 0800 53 54 55. Never give out your SASSA PIN even if the person claims to be an official. Memorise your PIN or, if written down, keep it far from the card. Postbank emphasised that it does not conduct uninvited home visits. Any official interaction must be requested through established home visit channels. SASSA beneficiaries should also reject any advice, even from someone claiming to be a government official, telling them to switch from their Postbank black or SASSA gold cards to other bank payment methods. '[SASSA] Beneficiaries must always remember that their cards and PINs are their personal keys to their money. They should never give them to anyone,' Postbank said. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
3 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Scammers impersonate Postbank officials to rob SASSA grant beneficiaries
Postbank warns SASSA social grant beneficiaries about a surge in scams where fraudsters impersonate officials to steal grant cards and PIN information for black and gold cards. Image: File Brazen scammers are impersonating Postbank officials and entering the homes of SASSA social grant beneficiaries in an effort to rob them of their money. This is according to Postbank spokesperson Bongani Diako, who on Friday urged SASSA social grant beneficiaries using its Black Cards and SASSA Gold Cards to be wary of the rise in fraud scams targeting their cards and PIN information. 'The recent scam involves fraudsters impersonating Postbank officials and targeting social beneficiaries in their homes. The beneficiaries are then duped into handing over their Postbank grant cards and PIN information under the pretext that there is something that requires fixing on the cards; or fear is instilled in them that they will not receive their future grant payments if they don't hand over their card's PIN information,' said Diako. Postbank assured beneficiaries that there is nothing that requires fixing on any of its Black Cards and SASSA Gold Cards, and that both cards will continue to work beyond 31 May 2025 for the payments of their grants. 'Beneficiaries are also reminded that they should not listen to anyone that tells them to change their SASSA Gold Cards or Postbank Black Cards to other banks' payment methods, even if they are advised to do so by government officials,' said Diako. Diako appealed to beneficiaries to stay alert and vigilant. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ He said even if people are wearing what may appear to be Postbank uniforms or branded cars, beneficiaries will be able to identify imposters if they show up unannounced or without an appointment. 'Postbank will never visit your home unless you have requested that through the necessary home visit channels. Beneficiaries should always remember that their cards and PINs are personal keys to their money. They should never give them to anyone,' he said. For any enquiries, customers can contact Postbank on 0800 53 54 55.
