A woman from Jharkhand has been arrested for allegedly attempting to obtain a ₹20 lakh bank loan by impersonating a staff nurse at a government district hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly. The alleged fraud came to light when bank officials visited the hospital to verify her employment details. Hospital authorities reportedly found the identity card, salary slip and other supporting documents submitted with the loan application to be forged, following which the woman was handed over to the police. Investigators are now probing the wider forgery network and the possible involvement of other individuals.
According to preliminary information, bank officials visited the district hospital to verify employment documents submitted in the name of Albima Tiga. During verification, hospital authorities checked official records and found that no employee by that name was working as a staff nurse at the hospital. A detailed examination of the documents allegedly revealed that the identity card, salary slip and other employment records had been forged.
Suspecting fraud, bank officials reportedly contacted the applicant and asked her to visit the hospital on the pretext of completing signature verification. When she arrived at the hospital accompanied by another woman, alert hospital staff detained her. However, her companion managed to flee from the spot. Police are attempting to trace the absconding suspect.
Investigators also found that the reference numbers and drafting style used in the forged documents closely resembled those found in genuine hospital records. This has prompted authorities to examine whether any insider or hospital employee may have assisted the accused by providing confidential official information or document formats. The matter remains under investigation.
Hospital officials stated that the loan application also contained a forged salary slip intended to falsely establish that the applicant was a regular government employee. Police are conducting forensic examination of the documents and analysing their origin, preparation and any digital tools that may have been used in creating them.
During questioning and examination of CCTV footage, investigators reportedly discovered that the accused had visited the hospital on June 29 with a male companion. She allegedly wore a nurse’s uniform and posed for photographs inside the hospital premises so that the images could later be used to support her false identity before the bank and other institutions. Police have also recovered several other identity documents from her possession that are considered suspicious and are being verified.
Commenting on the case, renowned cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said that fraudsters involved in loan scams frequently rely on forged identity documents, fabricated salary slips and fake employment records to deceive financial institutions. He advised banks to strengthen digital document verification, independently confirm employment details with the issuing organisation and implement multi-layer verification systems before sanctioning loans. He also urged government institutions to enhance the security of official records and document issuance systems to prevent such fraudulent activities.
