ALERT to Standard Bank Valued Customers

On 15 November 2024, my mother received a call from someone claiming to be from Standard Bank, warning her that her debit card had been cloned and unauthorized flight purchases were being made. They sounded genuinely concerned and advised her to create a “new beneficiary” in her own name and transfer my funds there, so they could block and remove the ****mers. They knew her ID number, her phone number, everything, yet never asked for any PINs, so it all seemed legitimate.

She had recently visited Standard Bank to question some high bank charges, so she assumed this was a follow-up call. They even mentioned the call was being recorded “for security purposes.” As a 72-year-old wanting to protect her money, she followed their instructions and transferred the entire balance. She received an SMS with a reference number for a temporary card, supposedly valid for three to five days until her funds would be returned to her main account.

The next morning, she went into the branch to pick up the temporary card only to learn that she had been ****med out of R120,000. That alone was devastating, but the indifferent treatment she has had from the bank since then has been equally disheartening. Standard Bank has done nothing but leave her hanging. She has been unable to meet critical expenses (like medical aid and insurance) and has spent hours on the phone listening to hold music from various departments within the ***** Division. She has filed affidavits, reported everything to the police, and then discovered her banking app was locked. She simply needed a statement to prove the funds were taken, but when she tried to retrieve it at an ATM, her card was swallowed.

After decades of loyal banking with Standard Bank, she is appalled by the lack of support and empathy. This has caused her significant stress and financial hardship, and the situation remains unresolved nearly two months later. Standard Bank customers, please be aware and vigilant. I would never wish this ordeal on anyone.

This entire experience shows extremely poor service from Standard Bank, which has failed to prioritize resolving this case or provide meaningful assistance during this stressful time.