More than a fifth (23%) of the banking complaints made by South Africans during 2013 related to ATMs, according to the ombudsman.
The Office of the Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS) dealt with 4,950 complaints last year, ranging from credit cards and ATMs to mobile banking, mortgages and motor finance.
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Ombudsman Clive Pillay said: "ATM-related complaints dominated the caseload, with more than 1800 complaints compared to 1100 in the previous year.
Pillay said the increase in complaints related to ATMs was likely the result of banks clamping down on electronic banking fraud.
"Criminals are returning to the easier pickings of automatic tellers, resorting at times to removing the toll-free numbers from the machines to delay victims’ alerts to the banks.
"That said, the office investigated about 200 more internet banking complaints than in 2012, which is to be expected given the surge in electronic banking and the rapidly growing numbers of bank customers."
Around 38% or 1900 of the cases brought before the ombudsman were decided in favour of the consumer, representing about ZAR16m ($1.5m) in recovered payments and compensation from the banks.
Most ATM complaints were judged to be the result of customers compromising their personal details, resulting in a larger number of rulings in favour of the banks.
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