ABSA Weak Anti-***** measures!!!

Good day.

I write this review to highlight the poor anti-***** measures that ABSA bank implements, along with that, they have poorly trained staff who offer little to no empathy or valuable assistance to clients when needed.

On the 16th of April 2025, I suspected that my card had been cloned after receiving a 2-step verification for my card to be linked to a Samsung pay app. shortly after declining, I received another notification for a payment of over R6000, which i then declined. I then immediately put a temporary hold on all transactions on my bank accounts. on the 24th of April 2025 I then went to ABSA bank Kroonstad to stop the old bank card and get a replacement for it. I was assisted by a teller a lady at the branch, who's name i did not take, but I would be able to identify her when I see her. upon issuing me with a new card, I asked again if she stopped the old card, and she confirmed that the old card has been stopped.

Fast forward to the 30th of April 2025, while I was at work in Welkom Free State, transactions started going off on my Absa accounts, showing payments being made at one vendor, all in very quick succession. I then immediately put a stop to my account again and rushed off to the nearest ABSA branch in Welkom. I then called the ***** helpline from the branch and spoke to a lady by the name of Olina Bodirwa, to whom I explained the incident all the way back to where the previous suspicious activity took place and the measure I took to prevent it. She then advised that the teller who assisted me at the Kroonstad branch was supposed to call the ***** department to notify them of the card being stopped, but she did not. Olina then gave me steps I need to follow, which I did and sent an email to the ABSA ***** department on the 2nd of May 2025 at 11:33AM, she also advised that the case will take up to 20 working days to be resolved, a 20 days that I do not have as I am left stranded and without funds to live the rest of the month. I have only received an automated email response.

I completely berate and do not recommend ABSA as a bank to anybody who looks for efficiency of service and the highest care when it comes to ***** protection methods. The fact that I took the necessary steps to prevent my account from being de*****ed, only to be met with an *********** level of service from an improperly trained staff member. I then waited a painfully long time at a police station to file a case and complete an affidavit per the steps given. I pay a hefty amount of bank charges with ABSA for such a low level of service and care. I am now in the beginning of the month, and I am without any funds to be able to survive, and I am not receiving the level of urgent assistance I need.

ABSA as a bank I have banked with for years and has been the only bank I have used for the past 8 odd years, I am definitely ready to jump ship if my case is not tended to with urgency and my money returned for the woeful blunder and poor service received by the bank.