Postbank responds to card cloning scam
The bank is calling on affected individuals to immediately report any suspicious activity or suspected card cloning to its fraud department.
This comes after an 84-year-old pensioner from Montclair lost R8400 of her grant in a suspected card cloning scam. The SUN published a story about Laurel Prangley's financial loss last week. To read more click here.
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Postbank has urged grant beneficiaries to report suspected fraud and unauthorised transactions directly to its fraud department, which is responsible for investigating and resolving such matters.
'Postbank has implemented a multi-layered fraud prevention framework aligned with banking industry standards and legal requirements under the Banks Act and the Financial Intelligence Centre Act. This includes card chip security, internal controls, and ongoing customer due diligence.
'The creation of robust customer awareness is also amongst the initiatives we are undertaking, given that some bank fraud incidents are perpetrated by criminals through scams that take advantage of customers,' read the statement.
Prangley's daughter Rene Gleisner told The SUN that the issue was discovered in February when her husband attempted to withdraw the pension from an ATM but received a slip indicating insufficient funds.
She believes the fraud may be linked to the card transition process. 'It's suspicious that this started while I was changing my mother's Sassa gold card to the new black Postbank card,' she said.
The family had visited Chatsworth shopping centre early this year, where two employees believed to be Sassa officials were assisting beneficiaries with the card switchover.
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However, Postbank stated that it has not yet received a formal complaint from either the pensioner or her daughter.
'No formal report has been submitted to the Postbank fraud department regarding Prangley's card. As such, we cannot confirm any deactivation until the appropriate process has been followed. We have contacted the client and advised her to complete necessary documentation in line with our internal processes to enable necessary investigations,' said Postbank.
Postbank said once an investigation is initiated they:
Take various remedial steps including blocking the compromised card,
Issue a replacement card, and safeguarding account credentials.
'These steps are guided by internal fraud protocols and customer protection measures,' Postbank said in a statement.
In February, Sassa and Postbank announced the transition from the gold card to a new black card system.
Postbank could not comment on whether Prangle's ID or card details had been cloned or compromised during the card migration process.
'This possibility cannot be confirmed without a formal report and investigation. However, the card migration process adheres to stringent encryption and security protocols, including Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and chip-based security features, to mitigate cloning risks,' Postbank said.
What steps are being taken to ensure the pensioner receives her next grant payment securely?
Once a report is received, Postbank can implement remedial actions such as account or card blocking, issue a new card, and ensure secure disbursement of future grants.
Is it possible to issue a new card with a different account number immediately?
Once an investigation is initiated, Postbank takes various remedial steps including blocking the compromised card, issuing a replacement card, and safeguarding account credentials.
What is the expected timeline for resolving such issues?
Clients typically receive an acknowledgement and reference number within 48 hours of submitting a valid complaint. The overall resolution timeframe depends on the complexity and available evidence, but regular updates are provided throughout the process.
Does the client receive updates or reference numbers during the investigation?
Once a case is formally lodged, Postbank will issue a reference number and provide ongoing updates to the client throughout the investigation, in line with our customer communication protocols and conduct standards.
For any suspected fraudulent activities, the public are urged to:
Report to Postbank's fraud team via fraud@postbank.co.za
Or call fraud hotline on 0800 53 54 55.
Postbank advised clients who are not satisfied with the outcome of their investigation to escalate the matter to the National Financial Ombudsman.
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