The nation's biggest bank has been criticised by the Banking Ombudsman for allowing nearly 10-thousand dollars to be drained from an elderly woman's account

The theft was part of a string of ATM withdrawals and retail purchases that siphoned more than 60-thousand dollars from the account of Pat Fairlie in the days following her death.

The 91-year-old Gisborne rest home resident died in October 2020.

It's believed her Eftpos card had been stolen.

The family complained to the Banking Ombudsman, claiming ANZ had failed in its duty of care to their mother.

In response, the ANZ says the PIN had been written on the card ... and they weren't notified of Pat Fairlie's death until November.