Cyber Fraud in Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank: Rs 11.55 Crore Transferred Through Hacked Account

In a shocking case of cyber fraud, hackers managed to steal ₹11.55 crore from the Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank by breaching its server. The fraudsters carried out the attack by first hacking into the mobile phone of a customer from the Hatli branch in Chamba district. Through this hacked phone, they gained access to the bank’s mobile application called Him Paisa and carried out the fraud on May 11 and 12, 2025.

How the Fraud Happened

According to officials, the hackers used the customer’s mobile to break into the Him Paisa app and accessed the bank’s server. Once inside, they transferred ₹11.55 crore to 20 different bank accounts using online banking services like NEFT and RTGS.

Due to a holiday on May 13, the routine report from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) did not reach the bank on time. This delay meant that the fraud went unnoticed for a day. It was only after the RBI report came in on May 14 that the bank management realized something was wrong. Panic spread within the management team once the fraud was discovered.

Immediate Action Taken

As soon as the fraud was confirmed, the bank acted quickly and filed a complaint at Sadar Police Station in Shimla. A Zero FIR was registered, and the case was transferred to the Cyber Police Station Shimla for further investigation.

The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the bank submitted a written complaint, and the case was forwarded to Cyber Crime authorities. A special team from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is also involved. CERT-In is a national agency responsible for handling cyber security incidents in India.

According to DIG Cyber Crime Mohit Chawla, the case is being taken very seriously and all technical and criminal angles are being investigated thoroughly.

CERT-In to Visit Shimla for Investigation

A team from CERT-In, based in Delhi, will arrive in Shimla to visit the bank’s data center and carry out a detailed investigation. They will check how the Him Paisa app was compromised, what security gaps were exploited, and what measures need to be taken to prevent such attacks in the future.

Bank Assures Customers: Your Money is Safe

Shravan Manta, Managing Director of Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank, assured customers that their money is completely safe. The ₹11.55 crore, which was illegally transferred, has been put on hold and will not be allowed to move further. The bank also has cyber insurance, so any financial loss caused by this fraud will be covered.

Bank to Upgrade Cyber Security with Finacle-10

To further improve its security, the bank is planning to upgrade its core banking system to Finacle-10, one of the most advanced and secure banking software systems developed by Infosys. This software is used by many of India’s top banks and is known for its strong security features.