Debit card scam in Balangir Central Cooperative Bank in Odisha, panic spread among customers

A panic has been spread among the customers of Balangir Central Cooperative Bank due to a debit card scam. According to the reports, at least 12 account holders of the bank were allegedly duped to the tune of Rs 10 lakh through their debit cards. An account holder Bedashree
Purohit said, “I had deposited Rs 80,000 in the bank. A few days back when I went to withdraw the interest amount, I was told by the bank staff that somebody had already withdrawn money from my account.”

Another customer Goura Chandra Puruseth said he had Rs 1, 72,000 in his account. “But when I updated my passbook on October 4, I was shocked to find only Rs 36 in my account,” he said.

Sources further stated that the bank has started the debit card operations in the bank around a year back. Debit cards have been issued to the several customers against their accounts are yet to receive them.

The bank still has several new unused debit cards along with their PINs. CEO in-charge of the bank Bankanidhi Rayaguru said initial investigation reveals that the money was withdrawn by a contractual outsourced employee of the bank through the debit cards which are yet to be sent to the customers.