EVEN soccer players are not safe from the scams and con artists that afflict even the savviest of people.

Kaizer Chiefs defender Tefu Mashamaite says a con artist has been using his phone number from the beginning of this monthand has duped several people.

The man's modus operandi is to pretend he is Mashamaite by texting the people on his list of contacts. He claims that he has been arrested at a roadblock for outstanding traffic fines and needs airtime as soon as possible.

As soon as the airtime is sent the man either switches the phone off or does not answer calls.

The person who has been duped the most is the mother of one boy whom Tefu is trying to help with his soccer career.

The boy's mother wants her son to be enrolled at the Chiefs Academy. She believed a conman's message that told her she needed to pay R3,000 for her son to be considered.

It was a few days later when she asked Tefu about this that she realised she had been conned.

"This conman has sent SMSes to my friends, uncle, mother and my manager, Jazzman Mahlakgane. He told Jazzman that I was arrested and needed airtime urgently. He transferred airtime worth R110, but when he called, the man did not pick up the phone. He later sent another SMS asking for R1,000 that he claimed he needed to bribe the police," said Mashamaite.

Mahlakgane called Mashamaite's mother after receiving one of the SMSes.

"I was shocked when his mother told me that Tefu was at home taking a shower," said Mahlakgane.

Other soccer players who have fallen victim to identity theft include Lucky Baloyi, Eric Motsego and Sthembiso Ngcobo whose identities were also stolen.

A Vodacom official told Sowetan that Mashamaite's case was still under investigation.