E-Paper
Bank employee falls prey to RTGS fraud as cyber criminals siphon off ₹8.5 lakh
The accused allegedly called the staffer, claiming an urgent pending transaction and providing fraudulent account details to gain her trust. The woman later lodged a complaint at Shivajinagar police station.
A bank employee at a Jangli Maharaj Road branch in Pune was duped of ₹8.5 lakh after cyber fraudsters impersonated account holders and tricked her into processing an RTGS transfer, police said.
The accused allegedly called the staffer, claiming an urgent pending transaction and providing fraudulent account details to gain her trust. The woman later lodged a complaint at Shivajinagar police station.
The scam came to light when the actual account holder denied initiating any such request, prompting an internal verification by the bank. Officials later confirmed that the transfer was part of a well-planned cyber fraud operation.
According to cybercrime officials, the fraudsters contacted the bank under the pretext of a legitimate RTGS transaction, impersonating the customer and supplying fake account details. Trusting the instructions, the employee processed the transfer of ₹8.5 lakh.
DCP (EOW and Cyber Crime) Vivek Masal said, “The cyber cell is now tracking the digital footprints of the accused, including the bank accounts where the stolen funds were transferred. Efforts are also underway to freeze the suspicious accounts to prevent further withdrawal of the stolen money.”
Following the discovery, the bank reported the matter to Shivajinagar police. A case has been registered against unidentified cyber criminals, and an investigation is underway to trace the money trail and identify those involved.
Preliminary findings suggest the use of social engineering techniques, where fraudsters created urgency and exploited verification gaps rather than technical loopholes. Officials said such scams are increasingly targeting banking staff through impersonation and pressure tactics.
Investigators have urged banks and financial institutions to adopt stricter verification protocols before processing RTGS and other high-value transactions. They also advised staff to independently verify instructions with account holders, especially when requests come via phone or informal channels.
