The Gqeberha Regional Court has sentenced former First National Bank (FNB) consultant Lusanda Gloria Qose (35) to five years of direct imprisonment for her role in a fraud scheme involving the unlawful access and manipulation of a customer’s banking profile.
In a statement, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says Qose, a former sales and service consultant at FNB, Pier 14 branch in Gqeberha, was convicted of fraud, cyber fraud, and the unlawful use of access credentials following her abuse of internal banking systems between 22 January and 24 April 2024.
The NPA notes the complainant, Mlungwana Maranti (68), held an Encore account linked to a Money Maximiser account and a registered cellphone number used for authorising transactions via FNB’s InContact system.
It says Qose unlawfully changed the complainant’s cellphone number on the bank’s system using her employee credentials, diverting all one-time-PIN authorisations to herself without the complainant’s knowledge or consent.
She further created a second bank card linked to the complainant’s accounts, which she used to transfer funds from the Money Maximiser account to the Encore account and conduct multiple ATM withdrawals over three months.
According to the NPA, these fraudulent transactions resulted in a total loss of R245 000, and the bank ultimately refunded the complainant and absorbed the financial loss.
It explains that Qose used her employee number to access FNB’s core operating system, which contains confidential customer and transactional information.
She bypassed internal security protocols, such as two-factor authentication and online fingerprint verification, and manipulated digital records to create the false impression that Maranti had authorised the transactions.
The court found that Qose’s actions were premeditated and sophisticated, involving multiple system breaches over an extended period.
She pleaded guilty to all charges, citing financial distress as her motive. During sentencing proceedings, she and her aunt testified in mitigation, stating she is a single mother of two minor children, aged 13 and 17.
She has since repaid R87 000 through a deduction from her pension fund and expressed remorse for her actions.
The NPA adds that in a victim impact statement facilitated by court preparation officer Eric Blouw, Maranti detailed the emotional toll the crime took on him, detailing the trauma of watching his retirement savings vanish and revealed that he had contemplated suicide.
The court heard that Qose was fully aware that the funds she stole were earmarked to grow the complainant’s retirement nest egg.
Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit prosecutor Edmyrach Matabata argued that, despite Qose being a first-time offender, her gross abuse of trust and exploitation of a vulnerable senior citizen warranted a custodial sentence.
The court concurred, emphasising that although the accused demonstrated remorse and potential for rehabilitation, the offence not only harmed the victim but also eroded public trust in the financial system.
Welcoming the sentence, Eastern Cape director of public prosecutions advocate Barry Madolo said: “This sentence underscores the NPA’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the financial sector and the rights of vulnerable victims.
“Insider fraud is a growing threat, and we will continue to prioritise the prosecution of those who abuse their positions of trust to commit financial crimes. The National Prosecuting Authority remains steadfast in its efforts to ensure accountability for those who exploit access to sensitive information, and to deliver justice for victims of complex financial and cyber crime.”
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