TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee Loses Nearly ₹55 Lakh in Sophisticated Cyber Fraud Using Fake KYC
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee loses ₹55 lakh from dormant SBI account after fraudsters forge KYC with fake Aadhaar-PAN.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee has fallen victim to a significant cyber fraud, losing approximately ₹55 lakh after criminals gained access to his dormant State Bank of India (SBI) account through forged KYC documents. According to sources, the fraudsters used counterfeit PAN and Aadhaar cards along with Banerjee’s photo and changed the registered mobile number to take control of the account.
The account, originally opened at SBI’s Legislative Assembly branch in Kolkata during Banerjee’s tenure as an MLA from Asansol South (2001-2006), had remained inactive for several years with no transactions, making it dormant. All allowances Banerjee received as an MLA were deposited into this account. The fraudsters revived the inactive account and executed multiple unauthorized online transactions, including transfers to various beneficiary accounts, ATM withdrawals, and jewelry purchases.
Banerjee was alerted by the branch manager after suspicious transactions were detected. He reportedly transferred ₹56 lakh from his active SBI Kalighat branch account into the dormant one, which was subsequently drained by the fraudsters. The cybercrime department of Kolkata Police has launched a detailed investigation, while SBI is cooperating fully by providing all necessary documentation and transaction records to trace the perpetrators and recover the stolen funds.
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Expressing his frustration, Banerjee was quoted saying, “If you keep money in the bank, criminals will take it, and if you keep money at home, Narendra Modi will take it,” reflecting a mix of sarcasm and concern over the incident. Investigators are currently reviewing the bank’s internal procedures and working to identify weaknesses exploited by the criminals to commit this sophisticated fraud.
This incident underscores the growing threat of cybercrime even among high-profile individuals in India and highlights the need for strengthened security measures and awareness regarding digital banking vulnerabilities.
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