Confusion as money transfer goes awry

A KUILS RIVER mother has been left puzzled about money she deposited at a PEP store for a family member which went missing before the intended recipient could withdraw it.

Babalwa Gcwabe, 44, has asked the police to investigate the circumstances after she had used PEP’s money transfer service to send R1 500 to her brother-in-law. She said the money was deposited at the Zevenwacht Mall.

She has slips that showed her transaction was processed at 11.38am. Gcwabe said she sent her brother-inlaw the withdrawal details at 12.09 but when he went to an ATM to withdraw the money, there was no money.

Gcwabe said she contacted PEP, which said the money had been withdrawn at 12.03.

“They said it was withdrawn in Port Elizabeth but my brother-in-law went to get the money in Kuils River,” Gcwabe said.

Gcwabe’s husband had to withdraw another R1 500 that same day to give to her brother-in-law.

Gcwabe went to PEP, the bank and the police – to find out what had happened to the money.

She said she used PEP’s service once a month to send money to family members, but the loss of the money has made her life very difficult.

“My husband said I must draw money from his account to give to my brother-in-law, so I used his money and must pay him back. I really don’t know what is going to happen,” Gcwabe said.

Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said they were investigating a case of theft.

“The cash was deposited at a retailer at a shopping mall. Later it was found that the money had been withdrawn in Port Elizabeth,” Van Wyk said.

PEP has also launched a probe into the matter.

PEP spokesperson Mariki Schwiebus said: “A consultant will contact the customer, who can then be taken (through) the process of lodging a claim and opening a case.

“There is a prescribed process that needs to be followed in order for PEP to retrieve any banking info from a financial institution,” Schwiebus said.