Fake Justice Tembeka Ngcukaitobi WhatsApp scam sparks fresh alarm in judiciary

It comes about a week after a brazen impersonation scam targeted one of South Africa's senior judges. The Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) has raised concerns after an individual impersonated Acting Constitutional Court Justice Tembeka Ngcukaitobi. This comes a week after a brazen impersonation scam targeted one of South Africa’s senior judges; Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), Justice Dumisani Zondi, issued an urgent public warning. Impersonation The OCJ said it has noted an individual impersonating Justice Ngcukaitobi. “According to the information available to the OCJ, the individual/s sent WhatsApp messages purporting to be from Acting Justice Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, using a profile picture of his likeness. “The mobile number from which the message came is 079 139 2620 and is registered on WhatsApp as belonging to ‘Justice T Ngcukaitobi,'” the OCJ said. Warning The OCJ warned the public not to fall prey to this impersonator and to be aware that misrepresenting a state of affairs, knowing it is not true, to someone else’s prejudice is fraud. “The matter will be reported to the relevant authorities for further handling. “Members of the public and media are requested to contact the OCJ to verify the authenticity of any communication, directive, article, or social media post that purports to be that of a Judge,” the OCJ said. Mandisa Maya In June 2025, the OCJ warned the public about fake social media accounts impersonating Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, stressing that she does not have personal or official accounts on platforms such as Facebook, X or TikTok. The office said impersonating a judicial officer is a criminal offence and urged South Africans not to engage with accounts claiming to belong to Maya. The public were encouraged to verify any suspicious communication through the Chief Justice’s office. The warning followed a previous impersonation incident in which a WhatsApp account falsely claimed to belong to Maya. The matter was reported to the police