The SASSA card switch — and the impostors riding it

The old SASSA gold card really is being replaced by the Postbank black card — a genuine, heavily publicised migration. Fraudsters ride the confusion: they phone, or arrive at your home — sometimes in what looks like Postbank uniform — saying your card "needs fixing," must be "activated," or that your grant will stop unless you hand over the old card and PIN "for the switch."

Here is how the real switch works, and it defuses every impostor: you go to them, they never come to you. The swap is done by you, in person, at a Postbank desk inside major retailers (Shoprite, Checkers, Pick n Pay, Boxer, uSave). It is free and needs only your ID.

What to do: never hand your card or PIN to anyone, at the door or on the phone. Postbank and SASSA never ask for your PIN — anyone who does is a scammer. If someone comes to your home about your card, close the door and report it.