Bank account ‘hacked’, Mandi resident loses Rs 7.44 lakh

Mandi, July 21

Cybercriminals yesterday made off with Rs 7.44 lakh from the bank account of a resident of Bada Gumanu in Sadar tehsil of Mandi district.

According to information, in an apparent act of hacking, the fraudsters withdrew Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2.44 lakh in two transactions from Balam Ram’s bank account. He has the account at Punjab National Bank’s Moti Bazaar branch.

Balam Ram promptly reported the matter to the bank authorities, cyber crime unit and local police. The police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 318(4) of the BNS and initiated an investigation.

According to Balam Ram, the fraudsters neither made any call nor sent a request for OTP, yet they managed to withdraw funds directly from the bank account. “As per a legal expert, in this case, the customer had done no mistake. The bank is legally obliged to refund the amount to me. The bank, which is insured against such frauds, will also receive reimbursement from the insurance company,” he claimed.