FNB: Complicit Beneficiary of *****

On 8 February 2025, my FNB bank account was debited with an unauthorized amount. The SMS notification I received read: “@Eft. Ref. Mac And Things. 8Feb 00:00.” Strangely, my bank statement reflected the transaction on 7 February 2025 as “Mac And Things.” When I raised the issue with FNB, they provided an explanation that was both contradictory and deeply concerning.

FNB claimed the debit was related to a dishonored payment from September 2024 for a Canva subscription, which was only now processed in February 2025. This explanation was absurd for several reasons. First, the transaction was labeled under an entirely different merchant name—”Mac And Things”—a name that has been widely reported as part of a *****ulent scheme affecting South African bank customers. Second, my account was in arrears and did not have an overdraft facility, making it unclear how the transaction was processed in the first place. Adding insult to injury, FNB then charged me an excess fee of R155.00 for going over my available balance.

I raised a formal inquiry with FNB via their banking app and was informed by a consultant that the bank had received numerous similar complaints and that the matter was under investigation. The consultant went on to say that my case was considered “card *****”—not account *****—promptly canceling my card and promising a replacement at no cost, along with a refund for the unauthorized debit. However, once the matter was escalated to their ***** department, I was suddenly told, “the transaction has already banked and is not *****.” In other words, FNB reversed its stance, refusing to acknowledge the *****ulent nature of the transaction and allowing the debit to stand.