Alert SBI Staff saves Elderly Couple from Losing Rs.15 Lakh to Cyber Fraud

Etawah: In a remarkable case of presence of mind, the branch manager and cashier of State Bank of India’s Bakewar branch in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh successfully prevented a cyber fraud and saved an elderly couple from losing ₹15 lakh.

The victims, Madhu Gupta, a retired teacher, and her husband, residents of Bakewar, received a shocking phone call at 7 AM. The caller, pretending to be an IG (Inspector General) from Delhi, falsely claimed that their son had been involved in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

The couple, confused and frightened, insisted that their son could not have been involved as he was working elsewhere. However, the caller continued to intimidate them, saying their son had fallen into bad company and that a man named Asif Ansari had revealed his name. The fraudster warned them of serious consequences — alleging connections with Pakistan, claiming their accounts were funded from there, and even threatening them with charges of treason and a death sentence.

As the pressure grew, the caller demanded the couple’s bank details, Aadhaar, PAN, and account balance. Then, in a threatening tone, he told them that if they wanted to be “saved”, they must transfer ₹15 lakh to a specific account within 30 minutes.

Terrified, the couple went to the SBI Bakewar branch around 2 PM, filled out an RTGS form to transfer the entire amount, and handed it over to cashier Indrajit Yadav.

However, cashier immediately became suspicious. Noticing that the couple was transferring their entire savings, he asked them if everything was alright and why such a large amount was being sent.

Despite the couple urging him to process the transaction quickly, the cashier referred them to branch manager Rishikesh Madanwat for verification. As soon as Madanwat spoke to them, he sensed something was wrong. While they were in his office, the couple received a video call from the fraudster, who appeared in a police uniform and instructed them not to delay the payment.

The manager asked to speak with the caller directly. When he took the phone and started questioning the person, the fraudster abruptly disconnected the call, realizing he had been caught.

Branch Manager Madanwat then explained to the couple that they were victims of a sophisticated cyber fraud, and they had narrowly escaped losing their life’s savings. The couple, visibly shaken, thanked the bank staff for their timely action.

Soon after the incident, Jitendra Kumar Tripathi, State Minister and District President of the Rashtriya Shikshak Mahasangh, arrived at the branch with his team. He praised the branch manager and cashier for their alertness and felicitated them on the spot.

This incident serves as a powerful reminder of how cybercriminals use fear and manipulation to trap innocent people — and how alert bank staff can make all the difference in preventing such crimes.