Justice Department suspends electronic child support payments after ‘attempts to compromise the system’

The Justice Ministry has suspended electronic payment of child support following attempts to hack the system. (Witthaya Prasongsin/Getty Images)

The Justice Department had to suspend electronic payments of child support after attempts were made to hack the system.

Ministry spokesman Kgalalelo Masibi said on Friday that the electronic payment system for third-party funds, including child support, had been temporarily suspended.

He said that “this was a result of attempts to compromise the system.”

Masibi said an investigation was underway to ascertain possible violations and that beneficiaries were advised to approach their nearest courts for financial assistance.

“In light of this development, child support recipients are urged to immediately visit the nearest court with their original identification documents to receive manual payments until electronic service is fully restored,” he said.

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The department has assembled a forensics team to investigate any suspicious activity, he added.

“We are committed to continually strengthening our systems to prevent and reduce the risk of future breaches. We sincerely apologize to all beneficiaries for any inconvenience caused and are deeply grateful for their patience and understanding during this time.”

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