TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee reported a loss of nearly ₹55 lakh after fraudsters used forged Aadhaar and PAN to update KYC and change his mobile number on an SBI account; Kolkata cybercrime has begun an inquiry.
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee Falls Victim to Fake KYC Bank Fraud
Trinamool Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee has reported a loss of nearly ₹55 lakh after fraudsters allegedly gained access to his State Bank of India account by submitting forged KYC documents, police and media reports said. Banerjee was informed of the unauthorised transactions by his SBI branch manager, prompting him to approach local authorities.
According to investigators and media accounts, the account in question was opened at SBI’s Legislative Assembly branch when Banerjee served as MLA for Asansol South. The account had become dormant with no recent transactions, which investigators say may have helped criminals target it. Fraudsters are reported to have used a fake PAN and forged Aadhaar details to update the KYC, and they then changed the registered mobile number — giving them control over OTPs and transaction alerts.
The modus operandi appears to involve identity substitution and KYC manipulation: the suspects used Banerjee’s photograph and altered contact details to present themselves as the account holder, allowing them to initiate transfers after updating records. Bank staff alerted Banerjee when the unauthorised activity surfaced. The incident underscores growing vulnerabilities around KYC processes, dormant accounts and mobile-number changes at branches that serve high-profile or long-inactive accounts.
