Giving me the run Around

On the 14th of January 2018, I was in the proses of buying a vehicle from a person advertising on Facebook. We met them in Boksburg and after looking over the car we decided to buy it. After the money was transferred to these people’s account it became clear that they were ********* and this was a ****. The money was transferred at around 18:00 on the 14th of January 2018 and it was a normal payment not an immediate payment. I phoned the bank to stop this payment and was told to send an email to ********** I was assured that in doing so the transaction would be reversed. I send this email requesting a transaction reversal at 19:53 on the evening of the 14th of January 2018. ABSA released the funds and it was payed to these people on the 16th of January 2018 at 3:45 in the morning. At 5:12 that same morning the money was transferred somewhere else. I have opened a ***** case at the Police but don’t have high hopes of anything coming from that. ABSA is now telling me that after investigating this there is nothing they can do, firstly the account the money was transferred to is empty, no surprise there, these people are *********. Secondly ABSA are unable to stop a payment because payment instruction gets loaded onto magnetic tape and presented the third party’s financial institution. What I don’t understand is why ABSA have a department dealing with transaction reversals if ABSA are unable to do such reversals. ABSA was my first line of defence but clearly they are giving me the run around because they did not do their job in protecting my money, after I was assured that if I do my part by sending an email ASAP my money would be safe, clearly not if you bank with ABSA.