BALANGIR: A debit card scam has the customers of Balangir Central Cooperative Bank worried. As per reports, at least 12 account holders of the bank were allegedly duped to the tune of Rs 10 lakh through their debit cards.
One such 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 A few days back when I went to withdraw the interest amount, I was told by the bank staff that somebody had already withdrawn money from my account.”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 said debit card operations were started in the bank around a year back. Several customers who were issued debit cards 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CEO in-charge of the bank Bankanidhi Rayaguru said initial investigation reveals that the money was withdrawn by a contractual outsourced employee of the bank through the debit cards which are yet to be sent to the customers. The bank officials suspect the scam to be the handiwork of an insider as the debit cards are only accessible to the employees.