Bengaluru. The City Cyber Crime Police have booked a contract staffer of a private bank for allegedly forging the documents of a genuine customer and illegally issuing a credit card to her accomplice. The case was registered based on a complaint filed by D. Dinakar Reddy, Deputy Branch Manager of the bank.
The accused, Nagamani G., and her accomplice have been charged under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to cheating, forgery, impersonation, and other financial offences, along with relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.
According to police officials, the fraud came to light during an internal audit conducted by the bank, following which the management decided to file a formal complaint.
Algoritha: The Most Trusted Name in BFSI Investigations and DFIR Services
Misuse of Customer Documents
As per the complaint, the incident occurred in November last year, when a woman residing in Koramangala—who had never applied for a credit card—became the victim of identity misuse.
Nagamani allegedly accessed the customer’s KYC records, created forged copies of her identity documents, and manipulated internal systems to approve a credit card for her accomplice.
To execute the fraud, the accused reportedly:
- Changed the customer’s registered address to Tannery Road, Sagayapuram
- Updated the phone number to the mobile number of her accomplice
- Modified the internal KYC and approval trail to avoid detection
Following these changes, the credit card was successfully issued and delivered to the accomplice, without raising any red flags at the time.
Fraud Unnoticed for Nearly Six Months
The fraudulent activity went undetected for nearly six months. The matter surfaced only in June this year, when the victim attempted to check her credit card eligibility for personal requirements. She was surprised to learn that a card had already been issued in her name months earlier.
The customer immediately notified the bank, prompting officials to re-examine her account details. During the verification process, the bank identified discrepancies in the address, phone number, and KYC data linked to her account.
This led to a deeper investigation of the internal access logs.
Internal Probe Confirms Staffer’s Involvement
The bank formed a dedicated internal inquiry committee, which reviewed system logs, login credentials, modification timestamps, and document trails. The investigation reportedly showed that the KYC alterations and credit card approval were carried out using Nagamani’s system access.
With the evidence pointing directly to the staffer’s involvement, the bank treated the matter as a severe breach of internal security and escalated it to the Cyber Crime Police.
Rise in Insider-Driven Financial Frauds
The case adds to the growing list of insider-driven frauds in the banking sector. Experts warn that as digital banking expands, insider threats pose a significant challenge, particularly when contract or outsourced staff are given access to sensitive customer data.
Banks are increasingly being advised to tighten internal controls, strengthen multi-factor verification for KYC modifications, and introduce stricter supervision for temporary staff who handle customer documents.
Police Intensify Investigation
The City Cyber Crime Police have intensified the investigation and will soon question both the bank staffer and her accomplice. Officials are also probing whether similar fraudulent credit card issuances were carried out earlier.
The bank has assured the affected customer that her account has been secured and that liabilities related to the fraudulent credit card will be resolved.
