If you see Thandi Modise commenting, sharing or posing on Facebook or Twitter, just know that it is not the National Council of Provinces chair behind those posts.

Concerned about a plethora of social media accounts in her name, Modise's office on Wednesday sent out a statement warning users that anything in her name was "fake".

"We would like to put it on record that Modise does not have any active social media accounts and all these fake accounts in her name have been reported to the various social media entities," the statement read.

Of particular concern, her office said, was that some of the accounts – particularly on Facebook – had been used in a scam "aimed at defrauding unsuspecting people into donating money into a fraudulent 'European Development Fund'".

"Others are claiming that the chairperson [Modise] will be able to connect them to 'international funders'. We urge the public and the media to remain vigilant and not to fall for these scams," the statement said.

Source: TMG Digital