Impersonation scam uncovered in SBI Gangtok branch, three detained in fraud case

The Sadar Police Station, in Sikkim’s Gangtok has registered a case of financial fraud involving impersonation and cyber deception. The case was reported on July 9, against a few individuals under Sections 318(2) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. 

Following the FIR, three persons were detained under Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, in connection with the case. Additionally, one vehicle was challaned under the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, during the ongoing investigation.

The FIR was lodged by Pankaj Kumar, a 41-year-old resident of Deogarh, Jharkhand, who is presently living in Gangtok and working as the Branch Manager of SBI SME Branch in Gangtok. 

According to his complaint, the incident began on July 4, 2025, when a branch official received a phone call. 

The caller claimed to be the known proprietor of Rajsons Enterprise, a genuine and long-standing customer of the bank. He told the bank official that he wanted to open a Fixed Deposit (FD) of Rs 5 crores and requested an overdraft facility against it. He even scheduled a meeting for 5:00 pm that day at his office in Tadong but later cancelled the meeting, citing personal reasons.

The next day, on July 5, the caller again contacted the branch and repeated his proposal. He claimed that the funds would be transferred from his account in ICICI Bank and set another meeting at 1:00 pm. However, at around 10:55 am, he again called to say that his cheque book had been exhausted and urgently requested an RTGS transfer of Rs 10,55,935 from Rajsons Enterprise’s SBI account to an account belonging to another individual at Union Bank of India.

Trusting the caller and based on the long-standing relationship with Rajsons Enterprise, the branch processed the RTGS transaction. The caller also said he would sign the necessary paperwork during the scheduled meeting. However, around 12:25 pm, the staff of Rajsons Enterprise called the branch and informed them that they had also received suspicious calls from the same number. They confirmed that the said individual had not made any such request and that it was a fraud.

After internal verification, it was confirmed that someone had impersonated the proprietor using voice modulation, a fake WhatsApp display photo, and accurate customer details. The impersonator had even contacted Rajsons staff with similar requests for adding a beneficiary and conducting transactions through Internet Banking.

Realizing that the bank had fallen victim to a well-planned cyber fraud, the Branch Manager filed a written FIR, requesting immediate police action.