***** ignored by ABSA while client suffers

13/14 December 2017 at about 16:00

I receive a call from the ABSA call centre saying that i had called earlier wanting to do transactions on my account, I told the call centre agent that i had not called absa and they must put a hold on my accounts because i don't know who made the call because it wasn't me. She called the ***** department and informed them and i also spoke to the lady at the ***** department confirming that i had never called ABSA. It was clear that someone who is not me was impersonating me and the bank became aware of that on that day.

The next day i went to the branch (ABSA musgrave centre) for assistance and they said they will change my login details for internet banking.

19/20th December i went back to the branch because i couldn't use my internet banking which i had assumed had been sorted and found out when i got to the brach i was told that ABSA from their call centre had changed my contact details on the system and my next of kin. My understanding is that a bank can NEVER change your contact details over the phone but ABSA changed mine. The lady who was assisting me at the ABSA Musgrave branch also reported these ********** changes to the ***** department.

20th December, i printed my statement from an atm in Davenport branch and realised that there are transactions i knew nothing about and i called the ***** department and first spoke to a lady and the phone cut off. Then i called again and spoke to Tumisho and he gave me a case number ********** . He indicated that my credit card limit was increased to about R149 000 and there was a pending loan of R250 000 and i told him i never app**** for any of those things. I was told that someone would come back to me.

I went back to the branch on the 21st (ABSA Musgrave centre) and they also called the ***** department from the branch where i was advised to also register with the South African ***** prevention service because someone was impersonating me. I was told an investigator would come back to me.

No one came back to me until i called the ***** department again from ABSA Queenstown branch on the 3rd January and i was told that my case was closed because i had called and said my husband had done the transactions. This was suprising as firstly i had never called, secondly I don't have a husband and lastly how was the caller verified because the bank was aware from the 13/14 December that someone was impersonating me and had my details but they have the guts to close a ***** case over a telephone call!. When i asked i was told that the case will be reopened and someone will come back to me.

On the 4th January i went to seek advise from Ciska the branch manager in Queenstown as i had not idea what to do anymore and she informed my that i must write an email which for the past month no one had said that i need to write an email to the bank. Till to date no one has called from the bank to give feedback and an update.

ABSA's handling of this whole case has been appalling from the first day that they realised that there was a ********* impersonating me, they did absolutely nothing to protect me as their client. They continued to approve increases in credit card limits, change of contact details etc.