GEORGE NEWS - An incident in which an 83-year-old woman was robbed of her bank card at an ATM in George on Monday 5 October has again raised concerns about the safety of elderly and other vulnerable people using ATMs.
The woman, who lives on a pension, was using the ATM at the Multisentrum near Woolworths in the CBD when two people approached her.
According to Salomé Bruyns of the animal welfare organisation Sentiara, the pair distracted the woman and pressed buttons on the ATM before telling her that the machine had swallowed her card.
Bruyns happened to be in the area when she was informed by Mario Oktober, a co-worker, of the woman's situation. She found the woman and took her to Absa, where the card was blocked.
By then, according to Bruyns, two transactions of R1 000 each had already been made using the card.
"I kept thinking: What if that was her only Sassa money? What is this 83-year-old woman going to do now?" Bruyns said.
She stayed with the woman until she had received a new bank card and then drove her safely home. Bruyns also followed up on the transactions and obtained CCTV footage that she believes could be linked to the incident.
The woman does not want to open a criminal case. According to Bruyns, she is hard of hearing, does not have her own transport and does not feel able to deal with possible court proceedings.
Bruyns nevertheless believes it is important to warn other elderly and vulnerable people. She suggests that those who feel uncomfortable withdrawing cash from an ATM should, where possible, rather make use of a cash-back facility inside a supermarket.
"We cannot simply say 'it's not my problem' when a vulnerable person needs help," Bruyns said.
Mario Oktober and Salomé Bruyns at the ATM in Meade Street where the incident took place.
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