Shimla: A major case of suspected cyber fraud has come to light in Himachal Pradesh, where ₹11.55 crore was withdrawn from a customer’s account in the State Cooperative Bank’s Hatli branch in Chamba district. The transactions occurred on May 11 and 12, both of which were bank holidays, raising serious concerns about a potential security breach.
The suspicious withdrawals were carried out through RTGS and NEFT, even though official banking operations were closed on those days. The matter was reported by the bank’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to the Sadar Police Station, Shimla, which registered a Zero FIR and forwarded the case to the Cyber Crime Police Station Shimla under the State CID.
The State Cooperative Bank has taken the issue seriously and is cooperating with the investigating agencies. Officials suspect a cyber attack and have urged a detailed forensic investigation to trace how such a large amount was moved without detection during the holidays.
ASP Shimla Navdeep Singh confirmed that the matter is under investigation. “Based on the complaint and initial documents provided by the bank, the case has been transferred to the Cyber Crime unit of the State CID. We are examining the route of the transactions and where the money was transferred,” he said.
The unauthorised transfer of such a significant amount during a non-working period has raised concerns about digital security within cooperative banks.
