A Mitchells Plain pensioner says she has been left high and dry after her pension money “disappeared” from her bank account.
Joan Williams, 67, says she went to Shoprite last Friday and found her pension money of R1780 missing.
“I went to the Shoprite at the civic in Rocklands and I went and tried different machines and it kept declining, meaning there was nothing in the account,” the upset pensioner says.
“I immediately went to the South Africa Social Security Agency (Sassa) offices in Town Centre and was shocked by what I heard.”
The pensioner says staff at Sassa told her she had been robbed and that “this is an ongoing scam”.
“I spoke to the gentleman and when I told him what had happened, he called another guy and they gave each other this knowing look. This guy then told me my whole pension was withdrawn at 2.40am that same day.
“He showed me the screen, but said he could not see where it was withdrawn. He then told me I am not the first person this has happened to. They have received numerous complaints for the last FOUR months,” an angry Joan says.
She says she asked for proof of the money being taken out of her account, but officials didn’t help.
“I asked for an affidavit or something, but they were just nonchalant. Will I be reimbursed? I am now sitting here waiting for a miracle to happen because what do I do now?
“I haven’t been able to sleep since Friday. We pensioners live off that meagre amount. I feel like I am going to have a heart attack,” the desperate pensioner adds.
Sassa Western Cape spokesperson, Shivani Wahab, says their system picked up the illegal transaction.
The transaction was reversed and the money should reflect in Joan’s account.
“Records reflect that there was an attempt to make a withdrawal on 31 May at 2:40am. The system marked the transaction as suspicious and the payment was held back. It was later reversed. Please advise the beneficiary that her money is available in her account,” Wahab said.