Miss SA issues warning: fans beware of scammers exploiting Luyanda Zuma's name
Actress and Miss SA first runner-up, Luyanda Zuma, is implicated in a fraudulent fundraising campaign by a TikTok creator.
Image: Image: Instagram/@officialmisssa
The Miss SA organisation has issued a warning to fans regarding a new social media scam of fraudulent posts that falsely claim to raise funds for first runner-up Luyanda Zuma.
A TikTok content creator, @fanelesibongethusi, shared a video claiming that she wants Zuma’s fans to unite and raise funds for her as an act of showing her support.
Thusi attached her account details to the post with the caption: “Let’s raise funds to support our Zulu queen Luyanda Zuma guys, she’s a winner in our hearts. 50K for our queen.”
Following this post, the organisation released a statement to warn fans about this on Tuesday, October 28.
“SCAM ALERT! The Miss South Africa Organisation has identified fraudulent social media posts falsely claiming to collect funds on behalf of a finalist.
“Please do not donate, share or engage with these posts or accounts,” the organisation wrote.
Thusi’s post was met with a lot of backlash, with many social media users expressing that there is no need for funds to be raised.
“Eh, it’s fine if she didn’t win. It was a competition after all, there’s no need for this drama,” @Esihle shared.
“You guys have a lot of money, neh? Raise your hard-earned money for her to do what?” @ivynene18 commented.
@lindelwamtshali_ simply asked: “Why?”
However, Thusi replied to one comment saying that the post is just for fun and she is not being literal.
“Very confusing how people can’t see sarcasm when it’s right in front of their eyes,” she shared.
Even though this comes across as a joke to her, it also comes with many risks because other people might fall for this and donate their hard-earned money since she went as far as attaching her banking details.
If it was indeed a sarcastic post, just like she claims, she would have added a disclaimer that the post is a joke or maybe never attached her banking details.
In addition, celebrities are frequently targeted by scams where their images are used to solicit money from vulnerable individuals.