Bank ***** Disappointed Customer

I have been a loyal ABSA Bank customer for over 12 years. I had immigrated to the UK on the 8th May 2024 and kept my account open in SA for debit orders to remain in place. Before I left, I had visited the Menlyn branch to apply for a spare credit card. My current card had bent its magnetic strip and I did not want to risk traveling with a damaged card. Between the 25th-28th of May a series of withdrawals were made from and ATM in Rosebank. A total amount of 15000 rand had been taken from my account. Once I had realised this, I contacted ABSA Bank to cancel my credit card immediately (both my cards were in my possession and the withdrawals were made without any contact on my phone). I was told to open up a case number here in the UK. After no luck with the police here and much effort, I had personally paid a Solicitor to stamp an affidavit to send through. Being new to the country, I had no luck opening a case number but I was willing to pay for an affidavit anyway.

***** reference ASZA-2***4.

I keep emailing ABSA as well as my personal banker to ask what is happening and my emails are forwarded to the ***** department. I keep getting the same generic response to say that my case is still under investigation. 1.How long does such an investigation take? 2. Are cases such as mine set aside and reviewed differently? Surely an established bank such as ABSA has insurance for this kind of thing? ***** had definately been committed against me and I believe it happened at the time of visiting the branch to apply for a second card. The assistant realised that I was traveling and it's no coincidence that two weeks after, money started to go missing.

My review is one of disappointment. As a loyal customer, I remain without my money and on the back foot while this issue is being resolved. I cannot even close my account as I still await news. No one has escalated the problem despite me asking my personal banker to do so. So I am left to write this public review.