Sassa warns of new Covid-19 grant scam which targets âfirst time applicantsâ Business Insider SA facebook (Sassa) A WhatsApp message claiming to offer additional “Covid-19 support” has been debunked by the South African Social Security Agency. The fake communication, which offers R3,500 to “more than 3 million South Africans”, redirects recipients to a registration page which demands personal information. The social welfare agency has been the target of several scams since relief measures were first introduced in May 2020. For more articles, go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za. Messages being shared via WhatsApp and social media channels, purporting to be an extension of the R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD) administered by the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa), have been identified as a scam.