DIBRUGARH, Oct 5 - The UCO Bank here got unprecedented media attention today following detection of fraud transactions from the account numbers of at least four separate customers amounting to over Rs 50 lakh.
While the fraud (s) managed to transfer about Rs 3,560,000 (thirty five lakh sixty thousand) on separate dates using counterfeit cheques in September, another attempt to siphon off Rs 21 lakh failed. The transactions have been reportedly done in South India, said Acharya Sonowal, Chief Manager, UCO Bank here.
One such victim is Madan Mohan Goswami, a retired Professor of the Department of Physics of DHSK College. He was first to lodge an FIR with the police after he discovered that Rs ten lakh eighty thousand (10,80,000) was transferred from his account without his knowledge on September 24. His money was fraudulently transferred using a cheque (No 889468), which interestingly is still with Madan Mohan Goswami, the account holder here.
It is pertinent to mention that his phone number linked to his bank Account was blocked the same day and another fresh sim card bearing the same phone number was bought in South India through impersonation of documents. Dibrugarh Police has, however gathered clues in this regard. Again, in the wake of complaint, Madan Mohan Goswami was issued a new sim bearing the same phone number by the Vodafone office in Khalihamari here.
Another Rs 15 lakh (fifteen) belonging to traders � RK Garodia and Sons has been shown transferred on September 20 from Chennai. The modus operandi is the same. Cheque number 484460, which is still with the account holder here, was used for the fraudulent transaction. RK Garodia and Sons were however never contacted for verification before passing the cheque, Raj Kumar Garodia told The Assam Tribune.
Another bank customer who lost Rs 9,80,000 (Nine lakhs eighty thousand) in a similar fashion on September 12 could not be contacted. The bank customer, from whom confirmation was sought by the Bank here regarding Rs 21 lakh, had denied issuing any cheque or making any transaction of such amount. So that particular cheque was not passed and she managed to save her money, Sidheswar Bora, Officer in Charge of Sadar PS told newsmen.
Meanwhile, the chief manager of the UCO Bank when asked about the possible involvement of bank officials said: �Circumstances indicate that bank officials could be involved in the racket. We will carry out our investigation. We are also planning to lodge an FIR with the police. If the bank is at fault, we will certainly refund the money to the concerned account holders,� he said.
The police have already registered two cases in this regard and have formed teams to move to South India for further investigation. They have also grilled the executives of the Vodafone office here. Police suspect the involvement of the bank officials in the leakage of bank details of the concerned bank customers.
