Singer and dancer Nestum is the latest victim of cybercrime. This is after her phone was hacked and the scammers started extorting money from her contacts.

SHE WAS ALERTED BY HER CONTACTS

Nestum, whose real name is Zanele Nyakale-Peterson told ZiMoja that she realised on Friday night when she got calls from some of her contacts asking if she was ok. Nestum said the hacker was also sending random texts to her contacts, and one of her friends quickly alerted her about the strange texts. "To some contacts, the hacker was demanding gratuity, claiming that I applied for a tender and needed to pay someone to get the tender," she said. 

SCAMMERS PROMISED PEOPLE JOBS

Nestum said it does not end there; to others, the imposter pretended as if there were vacancies available at the SABC." He promised people that I have vacancies available at the SABC from HR, admin, clerk, security, and drivers, asking my contacts to pay as quick as possible because the deadline was the same day," she said. Nestum told ZiMoja that she knows how hard life is without having a job and people who are desperate for jobs would pay. "I fear that some of my contacts fell for the scam and deposited the cash in his bank account, and it hurts me; that is not my character," she added. She said the amounts the people paid to the scammers varied from R5 000 to R7 500, depending on the salaries he was promising the people. "To be honest, I don't know how much they paid. I am hurt, so I can't even refund them," she said. Nestum said she had to change the number she has been using for years because of the chancers. "I had to change my number because of this. Anyone who is claiming to be me out there, please don't give anyone cash. I am not selling anything; no jobs," she added.