Female Subordinate Staff turns out to be Mastermind in PNB Scam in Greater Noida

A major financial fraud involving around ₹35 crore has surfaced at the Punjab National Bank (PNB) Sector Pi-1 branch in Aichhar, Greater Noida.

Around ₹35 crore is alleged to have gone missing from customer accounts, although farmers’ unions and local protesters claim that the total amount could be much higher, ranging from ₹130 crore to ₹150 crore.

Fixed deposits, including funds received as land acquisition compensation for infrastructure projects such as the Noida International Airport, and savings accounts were allegedly prematurely closed, and the money was transferred to other accounts without the customers’ knowledge or consent. Many victims said they had not received any SMS notifications or alerts about the unauthorised transactions.

PNB’s regional office has suspended five employees, including the branch manager, and replaced the branch staff. An FIR has been registered at the Beta-2 police station under Section 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal breach of trust by a public servant or banker.

PNB’s anti-corruption and vigilance teams are conducting an internal inquiry alongside the police investigation. Bank officials have stated that they are reviewing the affected accounts and addressing customer grievances.

Who Was Behind the Fraud?

According to the available information, a female subordinate staff member is allegedly involved in the fraud. She reportedly belongs to the same village as many of the customers and knows them well.

She allegedly misused the passwords of other staff members to carry out unauthorised transactions and transfer money from customers’ accounts to other accounts. She reportedly joined PNB in 2021 and holds a B.Tech degree.

The employee allegedly transferred money from multiple customers’ accounts to two accounts belonging to people known to her. One of these individuals reportedly lived as a tenant in the same village in the past.

Whenever a customer visited the branch to withdraw money, she allegedly arranged the required amount by transferring funds into that customer’s account from an account belonging to an alleged accomplice. This method reportedly helped her facilitate customer withdrawals while concealing the alleged fraudulent transactions.

The bank has reportedly filed a case with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the matter. Branch officials whose passwords were allegedly misused have also been suspended. Further investigation is expected to establish the full details of the transactions and determine the responsibility of those involved.

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