***** at ABSA

I would like to lodge a formal complaint regarding a serious ***** incident that occurred on my mother’s ABSA account on 23 September 2025.

On that day, my mother received a call from a woman who claimed to be from ABSA’s ***** Department. The caller stated that there was suspicious activity on her account and asked whether she had approved a particular transaction. The caller had access to extensive personal information — including my mother’s, father’s, and my own details — which made the call appear legitimate.

The caller instructed my mother to dial a *21*number# on her cellphone, claiming this would help reverse the *****ulent transaction. We have since learned that this code was used to divert all of my mother’s OTPs and approval notifications, giving the *****ster full access to her banking profile.

The call lasted nearly three hours, during which the *****ster managed to:

Transfer over R400,000 from my mother’s savings account; and

Obtain an ABSA personal loan of R200,000, which was approved instantly.

When my mother became suspicious and tried to contact the official ABSA ***** line from her work landline, the *****ster reassured her that she could “see on her side” that the ***** department was already handling the issue.

We immediately opened a case with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and submitted all required documents to ABSA. However, to date, we have only received automated WhatsApp responses stating that the matter is “under investigation.” There has been no personal feedback, no escalation, and no reassurance regarding the recovery of the ****** funds or the internal security breach that allowed this to occur.

Given the detailed personal information used by the *****ster and the precision of the method, it appears likely that this individual has inside knowledge of ABSA systems or procedures. This raises serious concerns about internal security and customer protection.

We urgently request:

A comprehensive investigation update and clear communication from a senior ABSA representative.

An explanation of how a R200,000 loan was approved under such suspicious circumstances.

Confirmation of the steps ABSA is taking to recover the ****** funds and prevent this from happening to other customers.

This situation has caused immense financial and emotional distress to my mother and our family. We trusted ABSA to protect her account, and this breach of security has left us deeply concerned about the integrity of ABSA’s ***** prevention systems.

I look forward to a prompt and detailed response.