Mysterious withdrawals from bank accounts leave residents concerned in Odisha village

Residents of Chandbali, Bhadrak district, face mysterious bank withdrawals. Padmalochan Sahani and Sasmita Nath report unauthorised transactions from their bank accounts at SBI Chandbali branch, sparking a cyber police investigation.

Mysterious withdrawals from bank accounts leave residents concerned in Odisha village

Victim woman Sasmita Nath at Chandbali PS

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Chandbali locality in Bhadrak district is grappling with unsettling incidents at its local banks, as customers discover their accounts inexplicably drained, sources said on Thursday.

On 26 December 2024, Padmalochan Sahani from Bijaynagar village reported a withdrawal of Rs 85,000 from his bank account. Following news coverage by Odisha Television Network (OTV), a sum of Rs 80,700 was reportedly returned via cheque.

Also Read: 'Learn from OTV': Odisha CM highlights OTV programme for awareness on cyber crime

The identity of the person(s) behind both the withdrawals and the deposit remains unknown, and another customer has now reported a similar incident.

Sasmita Nath, also from Bijaynagar village, has filed an FIR regarding the disappearance of Rs 34,400 from her account at the Chandbali State Bank of India (SBI) branch.

Allegedly, Rs 4,400 disappeared on January 6 and Rs 30,000 on January 9. Sasmita’s family asserts no one shared a one-time password (OTP), which leaves them puzzled as to how the funds were transferred from her bank account to elsewhere.

Bank officials have indicated that the matter is now with the cyber police. They explained that if an OTP was indeed used, retrieval may not be feasible; however, if not, recovery could occur within 35 days.

Acting on the FIR lodged by Sasmita with Chandbali Police, the law enforcing authorities have launched a detailed probe which is underway.

“I had not given any OTP to anyone; however, I got a message (SMS) on my mobile phone following the suspected withdrawal,” the victim woman expressed.

Must Read: Cyber fraudsters swindled Rs 125 crore in 3 years in Odisha; over 1300 criminals nabbed

These incidents have prompted calls for a more thorough inquiry to understand how such transactions occur without accountability.

When contacted, Chandbali SBI branch manager Gobinda Nayak said, “The complaint which we have received was forwarded to our IT cell. The cell will thoroughly examine the matter. If the incident will be ascertained to be fraud and the customer has not compromised details in any way, the bank will make necessary arrangements to refund the amount.”

Reported By: Trilochan

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