Chequebook & NEFT scam in Odisha! 'Loans taken, money withdrawn' without customer knowledge

A case has been lodged at Telkoi police station in Keonjhar against unidentified miscreants for allegedly defrauding two persons of lakhs of rupees using their Keonjhar Central Co-operative Bank accounts without their knowledge. 

As per reports, Chamur Munda, a resident of Padang village under Sirigida LAMPS in Telkoi block has an account with the Keonjhar Central Co-operative Bank’s Telkoi branch. 

Even though he has never approached the bank for a loan, miscreants using Chamur’s account not only availed loans amounting to Rs 90,000 and Rs 70,000 on two occasions but also withdrew them through cheque and NEFT. 

“I have never visited the bank for a loan. I don’t know anything about this,” said Chamur. 

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Chamur is not alone to have experienced such a jolt. 

A resident of Sinduria village under the same Sirigida LAMPS, Madhusudan Nayak has a similar experience to narrate. 

Madhusudan said he visited the bank once for a loan. However, the Sirigida LAMPS had turned down his loan request. Then he had gone to Bengaluru in search of work. On his return, when he updated his passbook, he came to know that Rs 1.45 lakh loan had been taken in his name and the money was withdrawn from his account through cheque and NEFT. 

“During my stay in Bengaluru, my passbook had been with the bank. When I updated my passbook, I came to know about everything,” said Madhusudan. 

It has been alleged that some employees of the Sirigida LAMPS and the bank are involved in the scam. Both Chamur and Madhusudan lodged a complaint at Telkoi Police Station, seeking justice. 

When asked, manager of Keonjhar Central Co-operative Bank, Telkoi, Dillip Pradhan said, “I would take the matter up with the higher officials. There should be a proper investigation into it.”