‘Scammers made me withdraw more than R2 million cash at FNB': Woman fighting depression after losing fortune in Joburg

Former teacher, Refilwe Masango insists First National Bank (FNB) should have protected her when on three instances in one week, she was escorted into two branches in Joburg to withdraw an amount exceeding R2 million from her bank account, and she lost all the money to cunning scammers.

Tearfully narrating her ordeal to IOL, Refilwe (not her real name but her full details have been given to FNB) said prior to going to the FNB branches in Joburg, several rituals were performed on her and the criminals assured her that she would be permitted to withdraw the money.

Refilwe also alleged that because of the rituals done on her in a very dark room by the scammers, including the use of muthi, the criminals had tampered with her mindset when she was being conned.

On Monday, IOL published the story of Keneilwe who alleges she does not know how her R2 million pension was transferred from her FNB account. She insisted that she was not present when her hard-earned money was transferred, and said she never gave anyone her banking app passwords.

In the case of Refilwe, she said she was taken to FNB branches on three different days and she managed to withdraw R2 million in cash – without making any appointment.

“I met the scammer Jacob in February 2022 and I was scammed in April 2023. I had received R2.5 million as proceeds from sales of my property in Rustenburg on March 29, 2023. I had bought the property from my pension fund. The property was valued at R4 million but I was persuaded by the scammer boyfriend to sell the property for only R2.5 million,” she said.

The 67-year-old woman said she was persuaded to sell her Rustenburg property so that she could buy a new property in Johannesburg. The Joburg property which Refilwe was enticed with, could also be used for business.

“On April 3, 2023, I was then invited by the scammers to come to Johannesburg to kick start the process of buying the Joburg property. When I arrived in Joburg, my boyfriend, Jacob, who I had met on a Christian dating site CDFF (Christian Dating For Free) came and fetched me after I was dropped by a taxi,” she said.

“He then took me to the guest lodge next to BluBird Shopping Centre in Joburg. He presented himself as a businessman who buys and sells cars and properties. At the lodge, he gave me a bottle wine, and I told him that I do not drink alcohol. He said he had to go to attend to a client, and he left.”

Hours later, Jacob returned and insisted that the lovebirds have to visit his uncle who resided at 85 Auckland Avenue in Joburg, for introductions.

Refilwe said she was reluctant but Jacob “forced” her and they went to the so-called uncle.

“When we arrived, I had a conversation with the so-called uncle. Before food was served, a woman emerged from the kitchen. I describe her as a wizard because of her appearance. She came straight to me and put her hand on my face, saying she was welcoming me into the family. That was the last time I met that woman. I was stunned,” she said.

Alone in an unfamiliar place and feeling vulnerable, the woman said she was shivering with fear.

The uncle also told Refilwe that he had a spiritual gift, and the night was characterised by rituals in a very dark room.

“I was taken into the darkest room ever, they called it a prayer room with candles lit but it was still very dark. There were animal skins and a small hut with a thatched roof inside the room. There were all sorts of scary things in that room. I was hopeless, thinking that it is my last day in the land of the living. In that room, I was told that my ancestors would talk to me directly. I was then told to start worshipping,” she said.

“While I was worshipping in that room, then suddenly, a voice echoed, saying my name. The voice which purported to be ancestors, said I have been suffering and the time had come for my troubles to end.”

Refilwe believes that due to the rituals, food and drinks she was being given, she was not in her sober senses.

In that room, Refilwe was told that she must bring the R2.5 million which was in her bank account. 

“I was then instructed to go to the FNB branch in Greenstone to make a cash withdrawal of R150,000 on April 4, 2023. I was accompanied into the bank by two of the scammers. I had not made any booking but I was given R130,000 over the counter,” she said.

Two days later, the pensioner said she was ordered to go and withdraw R2 million.

“On April 6, 2023, the scammers instructed me to make a cash withdrawal of R2 million. I argued that it would not be feasible to withdraw such a huge amount of cash without booking but the scammers insisted that I should not worry. The scammers said they had already arranged everything with FNB and they know people.”

The pensioner was then driven to an FNB branch at Sandton. She told the bank teller that she needed to withdraw R2 million cash and she was told to wait.

“I was called by a bank teller who gave me R1.4 million in cash. The scammers who had escorted me into the bank had a suitcase but it was not big enough to contain the money. They squeezed money into the bag. Everything was happening very fast. From there, I was taken to the car and we drove away,” she said.

Two days later, on April 8, 2023, the scammers took me to the FNB branch at Sandton for a cash withdrawal of R600,000.

The two scammers also accompanied the woman into the bank.

“In the bank, I was helped by the same teller Yolanda, and the same bank manager by the name Rieta was very involved. I was given R600,000 cash and the scammers took the money into the same pink suitcase,” she said.

"For all these days I spent in Joburg, one can say I was under a form of duress, not being able to leave. I was held against my will and even the times we were going into the FNB branches. I was surprised that the tellers agreed to give me such large amounts of money. I was hoping they would question me and refuse to give me the cash amounts," said Refilwe.

“After the three transactions, I was then released by the scammers,” she said.

“Even at this stage, I had doubt that I was in my real senses. I was taken to a taxi rank to go back home to Mafikeng. After I arrived home, the scammers called me and instructed me to deposit an additional R130,000 into an FNB account in the name of Omega Masuku on April 11, 2023, and I complied.”

While staying at the uncle's place, the woman told IOL that one night she attempted to go outside to look for her spectacles which she had dropped.

"When I opened the door, three men suddenly emerged and asked me where I was going. They ordered me not to leave the room and they went to look for my spectacles until they found them. I was not allowed to leave," she narrated.

"On another instances, we were waiting outside the bank, waiting to collect money at FNB and I was chatting to my daughter on the phone. The so-called uncle rebuked me and told me that he gets irritated when someone stays on the phone." 

The mother of three said her life had taken a turn for the worst after the scam.

“I was getting R42,000 per month as rental income but right now I am only surviving on old-age grant from government. To try and survive, I am doing events and that is a seasonal business. I cannot rely on that,” she said.

“It is so painful for me because I was forced to downgrade my whole life. That is not easy. There are times when I am down, very depressed.

“FNB should have cross questioned me and refused to give me such a huge amount of money in cash. After opening a case with the South African Police Service, the bank teller and manager indicated that any money more than R50,000 they do not give out cash. They say they do transactions inside the bank. How come I was allowed to withdrawal over R2 million in one week and no eyebrows were raised?” she asked.

She insists the fact that she was escorted by “foreign nationals” into the banks should have raised red flags among FNB staff.

"I have three children and one orphan that I am supposed to take care of. For the orphaned child, I used to contribute R1,500 monthly for transport and that stopped suddenly. Every month end, when the transaction has to go through, it really pains me because she dropped out of school. She is on her own now," said Refilwe.

Since last year, IOL has been running the scammed series where several women and men have lost their hard-earned money including pensions and bank loans through romance scams. The victims have regrouped and are knocking on different doors, demanding answers.

Part of some of the victims’ complaints include allegations against FNB, with the victims insisting that FNB was the bank preferred by the scammers. Many of the scammed victims said they did not have FNB accounts, but during the complicated scams, they were encouraged by the scammers to open and transact using FNB.

In December, IOL submitted a dossier to FNB containing the details of several customers, including Keneilwe and Refilwe, who were scammed. The victims insist that the bank did not protect them during physical visits to FNB branches, or online.

Responding to the IOL query, Sizwekazi Mdingi, FNB head of public relations and external communications said the bank takes all fraud cases seriously and undertakes to investigate each case thoroughly in line with its zero-tolerance approach to criminality.

“In addition to a dedicated proficient fraud team, FNB has a layered approach to protecting clients from fraud and regularly reviews its measures to detect and prevent fraud against its customers. As a part of our fraud awareness education, we advise clients to consult with a reputable and registered financial advisor before accepting investment advice from family, colleagues, or friends,” said Mdingi.

“We urge them to invest with companies that are registered with, and regulated by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) as the FSCA requirements and laws are designed to protect investors. Various institutions including the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) continuously urge the public to exercise extreme caution with regards to fraudulent investment schemes.  

“We strongly encourage our customers to report incidents of fraud immediately when they arise, directly to FNB by calling 087 575 9444 or by visiting the security centre on the FNB App,” she said.

Mdingi said the bank does not want to discuss details of how Keneilwe lost her R2 million.

“While the bank is unable to comment on a specific customer case owing to client confidentiality, we can assure the victims that we will not hesitate to take action on evidence of criminality,” she concluded.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

IOL