SIX months after losing R70 000 in a SIM swap scam, a Mtunzini resident is yet to be reimbursed or even receive acknowledgement of his case from the Banking Ombudsman.
After agreeing to look into the situation, John Thomas’ bank, Nedbank, on Tuesday said the ombudsman had stated it had been in contact with Thomas and that they hope he is satisfied with the outcome.
‘It would appear that some sort of resolution has been made, however that has not been communicated to me,’ said Thomas.
While he hopes this will bring an end to his ordeal, Thomas is astounded at the lack of communication between him, a fraud victim, and the official body with whom he lodged his complaint.
The contrast between Thomas’ case and that of Miriam Janse van Vuuren, the Mtubatuba widow who lost R21 000 in a SIM swap scam, could not be more obvious.
Janse van Vuuren was reimbursed the full amount by her bank, First National Bank, whose representatives kept in contact with her throughout.
Her service provider, Vodacom, while accepting no liability for the theft of her money, conducted an in-house investigation which revealed a corrupt employee who was subsequently arrested.
‘The difference between Miriam’s case and mine could well affect the banking choices people make when it comes to the safety of their money,’ said Thomas.
His service provider, MTN, appears to have made little effort in investigating on its side and has repeatedly been unavailable for comment.
Similarly, the Communications Ombudsman has not responded to Thomas’ complaint.
