Cybercriminals Strike Rural Bank in Karnataka, Steal Rs 2.3 Crore
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Synopsis
In a shocking incident, cybercriminals have targeted a rural bank in Ballari district, Karnataka, managing to siphon off Rs 2.3 crore. The attackers exploited vulnerabilities in the bank's system, manipulating transactions and diverting funds into multiple accounts across northern India.
Key Takeaways
- Rs 2.3 crore stolen from a rural bank.
- Attackers hacked RTGS and NEFT systems.
- Funds redirected to 25 different accounts.
- Investigation ongoing by Ballari Cybercrime police.
- Bank has suspended online transfers.
Ballari (Karnataka), Jan 24 (NationPress) Cybercriminals have successfully stolen Rs 2.3 crore by targeting a rural bank situated in Ballari district of Karnataka, as reported by officials on Friday.
The incident was traced back to the Ballari District Credit Cooperative (BDCC) bank, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Hospet Town police station. This bank serves the adjoining Vijayanagar and Ballari districts.
The case has been handed over to the Ballari Cybercrime, Economic Offences, Narcotics (CEN) police station for further investigation.
Initial inquiries suggest that the perpetrators focused on RTGS and NEFT transactions after successfully breaching the bank's system. They manipulated account numbers and IFSC codes from XML files.
According to police reports, the cybercriminals executed the fraud on January 10 during cash transfers from the BDCC bank to the IDBI bank. Investigations revealed that although the beneficiary names remained unchanged, instead of the money being deposited into their accounts, it was redirected to 25 different bank accounts across various banks in northern India.
Authorities became aware of the fraud following a series of complaints on January 10, with multiple branches of the BDCC bank reporting similar cases.
The cyber fraud was uncovered on January 13, revealing that deposits exceeding Rs 5 lakh had been diverted to other accounts.
In light of the online fraud, the bank has halted RTGS/NEFT transfers and filed a preliminary complaint with the Hospet Town police station.
Law enforcement has registered a case under the IT Act and various sections of the BNS Act while further investigating the incident.
In a related note, a Japanese national was conned out of Rs 35 lakh in Bengaluru on December 27, 2024, with complaints lodged at the South East Cybercrime, Economic Offences, Narcotics (CEN) Crime police station.
Another case involved a state government employee who lost Rs 19 lakh after being digitally arrested for six hours in Tumakuru district on December 24, 2024. The cybercriminal posed as a staff member from the Mumbai Crime Branch and claimed that money from the victim's account had been illegally transferred.
Additionally, a software professional fell victim to a digital arrest in Bengaluru on December 23, 2024, losing Rs 11 crore to fraudsters impersonating police officials from the Mumbai Crime Branch.
