Two bank employees accused of fraud

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 29

The Patiala police have uncovered scams committed by two employees of Axis Bank who duped people with the help of their credit cards. One of suspects was former employee of the bank and other one still works there. The police officials said the Director General of Police, Punjab, will write to a committee of senior bank officials for changes in the banking system and urge them to ensure strengthened firewall system.

The Patiala police have recovered 49 mobile phone SIM cards, 7 mobile phones, gold worth Rs 4.50 lakh, Rs 40,000 in cash and a Scorpio car from the accused. They have also frozen Rs 3 lakh deposited in the bank account of one of the accused who have been identified as Vikas Sarpal alias Gopi (27) and Ravi Kumar (25) both residents of Ludhiana.

SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu said the accused used to buy gold ornaments, mobile phones and other items from the bank accounts of unsuspecting account holders who had not attached e-mail ids with their bank accounts and sold them in market. In this way, one of them collected and spent money for his sister’s wedding and also bought a Scorpio car.

Officials said the matter was uncovered after the police officials started investigating a case registered on January 27 on a complaint of a resident of Charason village here.

They said they had already received similar complaints in which account holders of Axis bank complained of transactions from their bank accounts in which gold items and other products were purchased.

During the investigation the CIA and police officials found out that the gold and other products were delivered at different fake addresses in Ludhiana upon their purchase from online e-commerce site Flipkart. Vikas, who worked as a sales officer, used to collect information, including account numbers, CVV, expiry date of credit cards of account holders from the bank itself and used them.

Products delivered at fake address

During the investigation, the CIA and police officials found that gold and other products were delivered at various fake addresses in Ludhiana. They were purchased from an online e-commerce site, Flipkart. Vikas, who worked as a sales officer, used to collect information, including account numbers, CVV and expiry date of credit cards of account holders from the bank itself and used them.