New UIF scam on socials

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has warned mense about a new scam doing the rounds on social media.

UIF spokesperson, Trevor Hattingh, said in the scam, social media users are urged to pay almost R300 to get more than R21 000 after ‘registering’.

The UIF is a division of the national Department of Employment and Labour.

“In a written message circulating on social media, scammers are claiming that an amount of R21 785 is due and ready to be paid out after a ‘UIF Registration and Clearance’ amount of R298.67 is paid to them,” said Hattingh.

“For the record, all UIF services are free of any charge, and the fund will never request any money for its services or claims.”

He encouraged people who have been targeted to report the skelms to the department.

“Anyone who receives any message or information contrary to this, including the message currently circulating on social media should suspect that it is an attempt to commit fraud and should report such activity to the UIF fraud hotline on 0800 601 148, or alternatively to the Department of Employment and Labour hotline on 0860 666 883,” he said.

“We urge our clients and members of the public at large to be vigilant and to discard any information material that aims to confuse and defraud South Africans.”