Are there FNB / Apple ********** inside jobs taking place? Read till the end.

Good morning FNB ***** department.

The following ********** Apple transactions took place on my account.

Saturday 1 January at 17.02 I received a message from FNB that R249.99 was reserved for payment at Apple.com/Bill.

A minute later, at 17.03 I received a message that R499.98 was reserved for payment at Apple.com/Bill.

I have NOT bought anything at Apple. I have NEVER had an Apple account. After these transactions I looked on the Apple website to see if I have any Apple profile but there is none with my email and other details. I, or my family, have NEVER owned or used any Apple products. We are Samsung / Lenovo people.

I have NOT received any request for an OTP and I have NOT been redirected to the FNB app to approve or reject the transaction. My card was NOT ****** and it is still in my posession. My phone and card are always on my person. The money was therefore deducted without my knowledge or permission and was done without any fault or negligence on my side.

Since I did not have money in my cheque account, my account was showing a minus balance after these ********** transactions.

I immediately ( about 17.05) called *** and reported the ********** transactions. The call centre woman advised me to cancel my card - which she did - and then assured me all will be well since the money was not actually deducted yet but showed as an minus balance in my account.

She - this FNB representative - said that once the card was cancelled the money will not be deducted when I transfer money from my savings to my cheque. My card was cancelled she said, so the transaction cannot be processed anymore. I was not offered any other advice or even given a case number.

Monday, 3 January 2022 at 10.30, I went to the local Middelburg EC branch to find out about the insufficient funds fee that I will probably be charged - there I was asked what my case number is. Since I did not receive one on January 1, Athi, the clerk, called the ***** line again, reported the ***** again, and I was provided with a case number. Athi ALSO said that my account will not be affected anymore when I transfer money and that the negative Apple balance will not be paid. Since the minus amount still reflected, I decided to transfer money while still in the bank to get assistance should I need it.

Despite the advice of two different FNB employees at different times and centres, the money went to Apple the moment I transferred enough money. My account now reflects the two amounts as "pending".

I insisted on a refund and Athi called the ***** line again.

I was advised by Shaun/Sean Khula to immediately call *** once the amounts have been cleared (not pending anymore) and request a refund. Since the reported ***** is "refundable".

This incident has left me with a lot of questions to FNB. That could not be answered in the branch or at the *** number.

1) Why could the transactions reported as ***** (twice) not be stopped while the money has not yet left my account? ( Reflecting as negative)

2) Why could the transactions reported twice as ***** not be stopped while the money still reflects as pending?

3) Why did I receive the wrong advice from two different employees at different times and locations?

4) WHY DID I NOT RECEIVE A REQUEST FOR AN OTP OR WAS I NOT REDIRECTED TO THE APP TO APPROVE OR REJECT THESE TRANSACTIONS. I must ALWAYS approve or reject transactions so why not now for this online billing?

Now, I noticed two VERY INTERESTING things while waiting in front of Athi for someone to pick up the ***** line.

A) I looked through my app and saw that I actually have a virtual card. For which I have NEVER app****. I did not even know of those things. Athi explained to me that it is saver to use online than a normal card - and also said it is NOT automatically issued. So how was I issued with this card?

5) There was a screen playing with FNB promoting some Apple products, E-Wallets etc. Is it a coincidence that my account had ********** Apple amounts being deducted? Is there an FNB inside job going on? Apple is not a ***** **** site. It is a reputable company. So how is it possible for payments for an Apple bill to be deducted from my account without the necessary security measures ( approval/rejection option) and without me ever having an Apple account or owning an Apple product.

MY BIGGEST QUESTION. What is the way forward? how will FNB protect my account against ********** transactions? How will I be protected when online amounts are deducted without my OTP or app approval? I only shop at reputable places such as Takealot, Clicks, Dischem, Loot etc. And then I ALWAYS have to provide an OTP or approve/reject on the app.

How will I be protected when my card is not ******, always on my person, and not being used at ATM's? Due to high ATM costs I only draw money at supermarket pay points. I only use my card for payment at reputable shops such as Spar, Usave, Tops, and some local supermarkets or restaurants. if a place looks ***** I use cash.

How will FNB protect my account when there is no negligence or fault on my side?

Kind regards Marietjie