A two-day sting operation by the Hawks has brought down a social grant fraud scam, with 11 people arrested.
Two of the suspects are former administrative clerks at the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa). This is the second time they have been arrested for similar offences.
The takedown took place in the Tzaneen area on Wednesday and Thursday.
Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Matimba Maluleke said the Sassa officials are accused of recruiting members of the public to apply for disability grants though they are not disabled.
“After their applications were successfully processed, the first few payments to unlawful beneficiaries were given to the former officials as gratification. Then the unlawful beneficiaries continued receiving the grants.”
The gig was up when the scam was discovered by Sassa, which roped in the Hawks.
The government lost more than R200,000 to the fraudulent transactions, Maluleke said.
“The two former officials were previously arrested by the same team in February 2021 for similar offences and released on bail. While out on bail and the investigation was continuing, it was discovered the suspects committed other similar offences.”
TimesLIVE
Sassa admin clerks 'skimming cash from fake disability grants' arrested
Image: SA government via Twitter
A two-day sting operation by the Hawks has brought down a social grant fraud scam, with 11 people arrested.
Two of the suspects are former administrative clerks at the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa). This is the second time they have been arrested for similar offences.
The takedown took place in the Tzaneen area on Wednesday and Thursday.
Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Matimba Maluleke said the Sassa officials are accused of recruiting members of the public to apply for disability grants though they are not disabled.
“After their applications were successfully processed, the first few payments to unlawful beneficiaries were given to the former officials as gratification. Then the unlawful beneficiaries continued receiving the grants.”
The gig was up when the scam was discovered by Sassa, which roped in the Hawks.
The government lost more than R200,000 to the fraudulent transactions, Maluleke said.
“The two former officials were previously arrested by the same team in February 2021 for similar offences and released on bail. While out on bail and the investigation was continuing, it was discovered the suspects committed other similar offences.”
TimesLIVE
READ MORE:
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Four women arrested for claiming R285,000 in Sassa grants for ‘ghost’ children
Former post office manager bust for 'R1.2m Sassa fraud'
Limpopo woman had people pretend to be disabled in R300k Sassa scam
‘Give me a cut and I will give you a fake disability grant’ — welcome to prison
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