Pensioner Left Penniless After Sassa Card Allegedly Cloned During Card Switch

An elderly pensioner in Montclair has been left devastated after losing more than R8,000 in what her family suspects is a case of card cloning linked to the new Postbank Sassa card rollout.

Laurel Prangley, aged 84, has gone three months without her monthly social grant after her pension card was allegedly cloned during South Africa’s transition from the Sassa gold card to the new black Postbank card. The losses began in February, with a total of R8400 withdrawn from her account without her knowledge. The most recent withdrawal, R2700, occurred in Richards Bay — hundreds of kilometres from her home.

The incident has raised serious concerns about the security of the new system and the lack of effective support for elderly grant recipients. Prangley’s daughter, Rene Gleisner, has been tirelessly trying to get answers from Sassa and Postbank — but says she’s been met with silence and inefficiency.

“We realised something was wrong when my husband tried to draw her pension and was told there were no funds,” she recalled. “I reported it immediately and asked for the card to be blocked, but that never happened. The money was stolen again in March and April.”

Rene suspects the fraud is directly linked to the card swap process, particularly after visiting a shopping centre in Chatsworth where staff claiming to be Sassa representatives helped with the transition. Since then, the family has been unable to access Prangley’s funds — and the grant meant to pay for vital medication and daily needs has vanished.

“This whole process has left my mother emotionally drained. She’s disabled and depends on this money. We’ve had to cover all her costs, and it’s becoming too much for us,” Rene added.

While the exact method used to clone the card is still unknown, Sassa has previously warned pensioners about scams and fraudulent activity tied to card replacements and post office payouts.

Sassa’s KZN spokesperson, Sandy Godlwana, confirmed the issue is under investigation and that the family will receive guidance on how to proceed. She advised that victims of grant fraud must:

• Visit their bank immediately to report the fraud

• Make a sworn affidavit at the police station

• Submit the report in person at a Postbank branch

Despite these steps, the family says they’ve been “passed from pillar to post” without clear action. Efforts to obtain comment from Postbank have so far been unsuccessful.

As the elderly across South Africa continue to rely on their grants for survival, Prangley’s case raises broader concerns about the risks of digital transitions that lack proper fraud prevention and support systems.

{Source: Southlands Sun}

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