On June 19 Lombard claimed that he was the victim of fraud when he apparently made a large transfer at his bank in eMalahleni. Several minutes later, he received an SMS that a few hundred rand had been spent at the electronics store close to the bank, using his account.
Lombard, who lives in Gordon’s Bay, has been visiting family in eMalahleni. He and a long time friend went to the local branch of his bank to make a transfer of a large sum of money for the purchase of a horse.
According to the victim, he was using crutches at the time because of a previous injury. While he sat down, his friend stood in line for him. Lombard, who is apparently a retired detective, noticed several things that seemed out of place at the time.
“The teller kept asking questions. She asked me if I was betting on horse races and I said no.”
He claims that there was another suspicious man who seemed to be loitering around and left as soon as Lombard finished the transfer.
He received an SMS notification several minutes after leaving the bank that he spent about R250 at the electronics department store which was opposite the bank, using his debit card. He immediately phoned the emergency call centre to cancel the card.
The fraud prevention department of the bank promised to issue a formal statement before the end of the week.
Card cloning and fraud is a serious concern throughout South Africa. For more information on keeping your account details safe, visit the South African Fraud Prevention Service website or to report a crime such a credit card fraud contact Witbank SAPS on 013 655 5082.
