Victim of fraud told, ‘sorry case is closed’

‘Bank e-mailed me and said it was not able to retrieve money’

A Capitec bank customer is fuming after R11,000 was illegally withdrawn from her account along with the R150,000 that fraudsters had deposited to access her bank account. 

Olivia Mahlare has now opened a fraud and theft case with the police while the bank is doing its internal investigation.  

Mahlare said that before the incident occurred, her bank card had not been working for two weeks and she reported it to the bank and was told that there were no issues with it even though she was still struggling to use it. 

“On September 20, I received R150,000. I was completely shocked because I didn’t know who or where it came from, and then shortly after that I received a withdrawal notification and the fraudsters also took my R11,800 which was in my account,” said Mahlare.

She said she immediately opened a case of fraud with Capitec, asking it to retrieve her money.

The bank's fraud engagement centre told her that she would need to open a case of fraud, obtain a case number, and provide a sworn statement to the police explaining what happened.

Mahlare followed the instructions and, during her investigations, found the contact details of the person who had made the transactions.

“I got the contact details of the guy who scammed me from a Capitec clerk. I kept going back, looking for answers because I wanted my money back. I still want my money. So, the lady gave me the number linked to the account where the money was transferred.

I called the person, and he said his accounts were blocked and that he couldn’t do anything. He told me that until Capitec unblocks his accounts, he wouldn’t return my money.Olivia Mahlare

“I called the person, and he said his accounts were blocked and that he couldn’t do anything. He told me that until Capitec unblocks his accounts, he wouldn’t return my money,” said Mahlare.

“Capitec e-mailed me and said it was not able to retrieve the money, so the case is closed. I have lost my money, and this has caused me a lot of stress to the point that all my plans for this month have fallen apart. I am under immense stress because of this,” said Mahlare.

In the email, the bank said to her that: “When fraudsters steal money from someone’s account, they quickly move it out of Capitec’s banking system. We tried to get your money back before it moved out of our system but were not successful.

“We realise this is not the outcome you wanted, and we are truly sorry for your loss. We appreciate your understanding that we have done all we can to get your money back, and the case is now closed.”

The bank advised her to open a case with the police.

“Capitec Bank cooperates with the SAPS and other authorities to stamp out criminal activity. The investigator can issue a subpoena via section 205 to obtain the required information.”

Mahlare took her frustrations with the bank to social media last week. 

Capitec bank spokesperson Jade Lotriet told Sowetan: “We are aware of the recent complaint shared on social media and take these matters seriously. We want to reassure our client and the public that our relevant teams are conducting a thorough investigation. Ensuring a safe and secure banking experience is our highest priority. Once the investigation is completed, the client will receive detailed feedback."

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