***** National Bank - Heartless, Clueless and ***********

I'm Ann, a pensioner and a loyal client of FNB for 35 years. It's so hard to believe that my loyalty to FNB would be rewarded with the complete disregard and ineptitude that FNB has shown to my situation.

A person who accessed FNB's records and system, committed *****, cleared my bank account and increased my limits (with no notification!), with FNB being non the wiser, and unable to resolve / fix the matter 6 weeks later.

Below is my journey, which leaves my situation still unresolved 6 weeks later and with FNB cluelessly bobbing along in a sea of *****!

On Monday 15 January 2024 I received a call from a Michelle Cele from FNB ***) advising there is suspicious activity on my OnLine Banking App.

She further advised that a company named A.B. Connect was saying I had signed a R3000.00 debit order.

I immediately told there to cancel as it was untrue. She checked my details. Not once did I have to give her any personal details as she had it all to hand.

"Michelle from FNB" contacted me the next day and advised my account had been hacked and FNB was experiencing an unprecedented amount of on-line *****, money was being transferred out of my account and she further advised that she needs to open a special account - “FNB Hiding” - and transfer monies in that account while the ***** is being investigated.

On Wednesday, 17 January she advised they were still investigating but suspected a bank employee was responsible.

18 to 19/01 unable to get hold of Michelle Cele (she has disappeared)

20 and 21/01 Weekend 22/01 Monday I contacted FNB ***** Dept and explain about Michelle Cele’s call and subsequent interaction with her.

I am then told the bad news that there is no Michelle Cele in their department and the number is not a valid one.

23/01 I called to the Benmore branch of FNB and speak to the branch manager who in turn contacts the ***** Dept.

We are then advised that Michelle Cele was a hacker and had cleaned out all my accounts.

KG (bank manager) hands me to Bongiwe who closed down all my current accounts and when printing out account activities

We note my credit card (usual limit R28 000 )has been increased to R85 000.

A revolving credit facility for R44 000 has also been opened.

24/01 my investment pension is paid into my account and promptly disappears.

24/01 I go to the Sandton Police Station and make a statement and am given Case No. 453/1/24

25/01 handover the police statement to the bank and together with account printout this is forwarded to the ***** Dept.

The case no is ***.

25/01 receive acknowledgment from FD stating the case will now be handed over to an investigator. This message is sent to me on 26/01 and again on20/02 !!!

At no time was I informed by the “real” ***** Dept of suspicious activity on my account.

It was only when I reported the matter that they realised ***** had been committed. At No time did the bank contact me in order to get my permission or signature for the increase in credit or for the revolving credit facility.

From the 5th of February to the 22nd of February I started my mission to get information or an update on my case.

Contacting the FNB Secure Chat I have “spoken” to 19 people.

Received a lot of misinformation (“it will take 7-10 working days”/ “this is not our expertise”, “you will be passed to the next service agent/the case has been escalated” , “response in 48 hours.” Etc).

I have seldom met with such ineptitude in any organisation, let alone one of the size and standing of FNB.

It was only on21/02 I was finally advised that my case was related to Digital ***** and they are not on the secure chat.

If at the outset, one service agent was able to give me this information, instead of passing me around like a plate of 3 day old fish, it would have saved me me reems of useless correspondence.

Outstanding amongst this sea of people with no expertise, is Lalita Govender at Benmore Garden branch.

She was extremely helpful in very trying circumstances. I commend her patience with me as I was being tested beyond endurance. We had finally received the name of the Investigator handling this case. However trying to contact her was like trying to get hold of slippery soap.

Every time we telephoned she sent a message that she would e.mail or call me, which of course never happened.

We then tried contacting her supervisor and he was never available.

I finally received a call from the investigator on Monday 19/02 and she advised she had not received the documents from the bank to proceed with case she also advised that investigations take 30 days,

I told her I have in writing that it would take 7-10 days.

I was furious, because if she had actually looked at my file case she would have known 3 weeks earlier that she did not have the documentation.

Bank at Benmore advised they had sent the documents on 25/01. Seems it had been received by someone and sat on their desk. Finally the wunderkind promised she would contact me on Wednesday 21/02. Of course that never happened.

Never have I been so underwhelmed by and organisation’s lack of client service.

It seems that in these paroxysms of implementing new digital systems FNB totally forgot to give sufficient training to their employees and so paradoxically we, the clients, are left to deal with the inefficiency of people only being able to reply by rote. Any query outside the parameter of ??????? Is dealt with passing the matter on to the next “unabled” service agent.