Kolkata: The Cyber Crime Wing (CCW) of the state police has busted a racket and arrested five employees of a private bank for allegedly sharing customer details with cyber fraudsters.
The five accused were arrested over a span of about ten days and all are currently in police custody. Authorities suspect that a similar racket could be active in other banks as well.
Sources said, on July 23, a representative of the bank lodged a complaint at the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime police station, alleging that a group of fraudsters were targeting the bank’s customers through WhatsApp calls, SMS, and phone calls, posing as bank managers.
The criminals also used forged bank logos to gain the trust of customers, misleading them under the pretext of incomplete KYC. Victims were later compelled to share personal and banking information, resulting in financial losses and significant reputational damage to the bank.
Although the case was initially investigated by officers at the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime police station, the probe was later taken over by the CCW. During the investigation, five employees from different branches of the bank were arrested over the past ten days. Officials found that these employees, all senior staff with access to the Core Banking System (CBS), had collected customer details not only from their own branches but also from other branches. They allegedly shared this information with the fraudsters in exchange for money, after which the cybercriminals used the data to impersonate bank officials and defraud people.
The CCW has stated that the investigation is ongoing to uncover the wider network and financial trail behind the fraud. Strict legal action will be taken against all individuals found complicit. Officials also said they will examine the possibility of similar incidents in other banks, which could have facilitated cyber crimes in West Bengal or beyond.