A fraudulent branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) was discovered in the Sakti district of Chhattisgarh, police reported on Sunday. The scammers had conducted illegal recruitment drives, fake training sessions, and created a convincing setup to deceive unemployed individuals and residents of Chhapora village, approximately 250 kilometers from Raipur.
Operating out of a rented shop, the fake "bank" had been functioning since September 18, complete with an SBI banner, new furniture, official-looking documents, and working counters.
Villagers, unaware of the scam, began opening accounts and conducting financial transactions at the "bank," where newly "recruited" employees handled operations. Suspicion arose when the manager of the Dabra branch questioned the legitimacy of the Chhapora branch and reported it to SBI. On September 27, after receiving the complaint, a police team, along with SBI officials, visited the site and uncovered the fraudulent branch, according to NDTV.
The scammers also collected money from locals under the guise of recruitment, providing fake appointment letters after taking amounts between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 6 lakh from victims.
During a raid, police seized computers and other materials. Hindustan Times quoted Additional Superintendent of Police Rama Patel, who confirmed that a team from SBI's regional office in Korba inspected the site and verified the branch was fake.
According to Patel, a case has been filed against three individuals under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including the alleged mastermind posing as the branch manager. Authorities are now investigating how many people were defrauded and the total amount of money involved.
This incident is reminiscent of a similar case in Tamil Nadu in 2020, where three individuals were arrested for operating a fake SBI branch in Panruti, Cuddalore district. The scam, organized by the son of a former SBI employee, included computers, lockers, and forged documents, and was uncovered after a customer raised concerns with an existing SBI branch manager.
