ALERT: FNB warns of new debit order scam following investigation

FNB has identified a new debit order scam by parties known as Procall and Mzansi.

According to a statement issued by the bank on Friday, customers have been using the FNB App and online banking, among other channels to dispute unauthorised debits by Procall and Mzansi between December 2018 and January 2019.

FNB said this is an ongoing investigation and cannot yet quantify the value of the unauthorised debit orders or the number of customers affected.

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"Our investigations have provided sufficient proof that the impacted customers had not provided a mandate for the debit order and as a result, the debits to customer accounts were unauthorised," Dr Christoph Nieuwoudt, chief executive of FNB Consumer said.

FNB has started reversing the Procall debit orders and associated charges. "We are working with the corresponding bank to reverse all Mzansi debit orders," FNB assured.

The bank is also working with the Payments Association of South Africa and the South African Banking Risk and Information Centre on the matter and will be "pursuing criminal charges".

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Currently, FNB customers can stop, dispute or reverse unauthorised debit orders of less than R200, for free on the FNB App, online banking and cellphone banking. The bank also notifies customers via SMS every time a new debit order is raised on their accounts, FNB said.

Debit orders higher than R200 can be stopped, disputed and reversed at the FNB contact centre or at FNB branches. "While every case is treated on its individual merits, debit order disputes above R200 may incur a fee to prevent potential abuse such as the reversal of legitimate debit orders," the bank clarified.