Ex-Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela loses thousands in WhatsApp scam

Former public protector Thuli Madonsela has fallen victim to a WhatsApp scam, losing thousands of rands in the process.

The former public protector took to Twitter to warn others about a WhatsApp identity theft after being scammed by a person who stole her friend’s profile.

She claims that she had lost money, together and her friend after falling into a victim of an alleged scammer who posed as a mutual friend.

Madonsela revealed on Twitter that they became aware of the scam after the scammer became greedy and brazen.

I and a friend lost thousands of rands from a scammer who had hijacked the WhatsApp profile of a mutual friend. He was pretending to be that friend. It was only when the scammer became so greedy and brazen that my son and I figured out the scam and warned other friends. WhatsApp…

— Prof Thuli Madonsela #KindnessBuilds (@ThuliMadonsela3) June 7, 2023

“It was only when the scammer became so greedy and brazen that my son and I figured out the scam and warned other friends. WhatsApp ID theft or hacking is real.

“Worse is people can hack others’ WhatsApp IDs as many of us have been scammed by people masquerading as friends or family,” Madonsela said in a Twitter post.

Meanwhile earlier, Madonsela weighed in when suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane refused to participate in the inquiry chaired by Richard Dyantyi who is fingered in bribery allegations, and called on him to recuse himself from the forum.

Mkhwebane has also asked for the WhatsApp and audio messages allegedly sent to her husband to solicit a bribe to be made public during the inquiry.

If people can be forced to recuse themselves simply because of someone claiming to be dishonestly acting on their behalf with no evidence implicating them, our judges would be in trouble. Even worse is that people can hack others’ WhatsApp IDs as many of us have been scammed by…

— Prof Thuli Madonsela #KindnessBuilds (@ThuliMadonsela3) June 7, 2023

However, Madonsela tweeted that: “If people can be forced to recuse themselves simply because of someone claiming to be dishonestly acting on their behalf with no evidence implicating them, our judges would be in trouble.

“Even worse is that people can hack others’ WhatsApp IDs as many of us have been scammed by people masquerading as friends or family.”