Concern that client details misused

FORENSIC scientist David Klatzow, who has acted for victims of online banking fraud, says the banks play fast and loose with customer information and their forensic reports that he has seen do not stand up to scrutiny.

Klatzow says that when customers have large sums of money lying in bank accounts that don’t pay much in interest, it’s not uncommon for these customers to receive unsolicited calls from agents of the bank offering to invest this money for a better return.

Absa clients Johan and Maatje du Plessis, who lost about R880 000 in a SIM-swap fraud, said a few months before they were defrauded they were phoned by an investment consultant in the bank, who said he had offered to help them invest it for a better return.

“They are careless with your information but are quick to blame you for failing to be careful,” said Klatzow.

Phumza Macanda, the head of media relations at Absa, says fraud is an industry-wide issue and to single out Absa is both prejudicial and inaccurate. —