Assam MLA Falls Victim to Rs 81 Lakh Cyber Theft; Suspects Bank Involvement

In an unusual turn of events, Pradip Sarkar, MLA for Abhayapuri South, has been the latest victim of financial theft, after a cybercriminal siphoned Rs 81 lakh from his state bank accounts across numerous locations, including Guwahati, Bongaigaon, and Abhayapuri, without his knowledge.

The victim MLA claimed that the cyber criminal initially activated the mobile number and KYC. He then fraudulently authorized net banking, Paytm, and a virtual card, draining a substantial sum of money over the course of several months.

Speaking to the media, MLA Pradip Sarkar said, "I went to Abhayapuri State Bank of India to make an RTGS transfer for Rs 10 lakh. The banker at the counter informed me that my account did not have the required amount for an RTGS transfer. I enquired and discovered that my account has only Rs 6 lakh. I urged the branch manager to investigate the matter, and he, too, discovered that my salary account barely has Rs 6 lakh in balance. He also informed me that there have been numerous transactions from my account in the previous one and a half months, including one from Bangalore yesterday, despite the fact that I am currently in Assam and have done no transactions. The manager then asked for my number, which did not match the number given in the bank. I also learned that on February 6, someone modified the KYC in my name. When I obtained the documents, I was shocked to see that the cyber criminal had gained access to all of the details of my Pan card, Aadhaar card, and voter card, and as a result, he fraudulently activated net banking, Paytm, and a virtual card, looting a substantial sum of money from my bank accounts. He also forged my signature.”

The legislator then lodged a police complaint at Abhayapuri police station about this. He also gave the police a picture of a suspect that he had obtained from the bank.

The MLA right away blamed the State Bank of India for the loss and said that someone from the bank is involved in the online scam.

“I doubt bankers are participating in this scam; otherwise, they would not have had the audacity to siphon such a large sum of money from a public representative's bank account. I alerted the Bongaigaon Superintendent of Police, and he guaranteed me that my money would be recovered as soon as possible. He further stated that it is the bank's problem, not mine, thus they will have to bear the repercussions,” added the Abhayapuri South legislator.

Also Read: 16 Arrested in Morigaon for Cyber-Enabled Financial Crimes