Rs 11.55 Crore Heist: Fraudsters Use Customer's Cell Phone To Hack Himachal Co-Op Bank Server
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The fraudsters allegedly hacked the server through a mobile phone application of a customer, who holds an account at the bank's Hatli branch in Chamba district.
In a shocking cybercrime incident, fraudsters allegedly hacked into the Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank's server using a customer's mobile phone, siphoning off a staggering Rs 11.55 crore into 20 different accounts via NEFT and RTGS transactions.
The transactions took place on May 11-12, but went undetected until May 14 due to the May 13 holiday. The bank authorities discovered the issue after receiving the transaction report from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The bank's Chief Information Security Officer filed a zero FIR with the Sadar police station in Shimla. The case was transferred to the Cyber Police Station.
The fraudsters allegedly hacked the server through a mobile phone application of a customer, who holds an account at the bank's Hatli branch in Chamba district.
According to sources, the fraudsters used a compromised device to access the HimPaisa mobile app and breach the bank's server. However, the bank's MD, Sharwan Manta, stated that the hackers targeted the bank's internet banking system.
'We have identified the banks where the siphoned money was transferred and blocked all the accounts from which money was transferred from our bank. Our money was cyber-secured and fully insured, so nobody is at a loss — neither banks nor customers," Manta said, adding that this is the first time that the bank's internet security was breached.
First Published:
May 18, 2025, 20:35 IST
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