ATM user loses R53K, bank ‘won’t pay back my money’

More than R50,000 was withdrawn from Bruce Staveley’s bank account when he was distracted from completing his transaction at an ATM. He has blamed the bank for not providing enough security at ATMs.

Staveley said he visited the First National Bank (FNB) ATM in Randpark Ridge late in the evening on 27 February to withdraw cash from his bank account.

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He said when he entered his pin number he was distracted from completing the transaction when someone bumped him and when he turned back to the ATM his card had been removed.

A few minutes later he received an SMS notification about a R53,000 withdrawal from his account.

“Everything happened so fast. There were three machines with about seven people in the vicinity. I put my pin number in the machine and a guy bumped me after which my card was gone, as well as the people in the vicinity,” Staveley said.

“After I received the SMS notification, I immediately called the bank, even though it was late.

“The bank told me they cannot find any fault because the cameras at the ATM were not working and I called too late.

“I don’t understand how they expect me to call them when I did not know what was happening.”

Aside from not having enough security at the ATM, Staveley was upset the bank had allowed a transaction which exceeded his daily limit.

He said the bank was not willing to pay back the money, which left him unable to afford legal fees to fight the matter.

“It will take me five years to save the money I’ve lost. It is unfair of the bank to not support me during this time. I am caught between a hard place and a rock because the bank has more power than me. I cannot afford to waste any more money on a bank that does not protect my money,” Staveley said.

He added he was closing his personal and business bank account with FNB because he felt the bank was not who it advertised to be.

FNB failed to comment on the matter despite numerous attempts by The Citizen to get a response.

– sonrin@citizen.co.za

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