TMC MP Feels Aam Aadmi Pain as Cybercrime Pandemic Strikes

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Fraudsters allegedly reactivated a dormant SBI account using forged documents and siphoned funds through multiple transactions.

By TRH State Desk

Kolkata, November 7, 2025 —Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee has reportedly lost ₹55 lakh in a sophisticated case of online financial fraud, prompting a joint investigation by the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Cyber Crime department of Kolkata Police.

According to reports in The Statesman, the four-time MP from Serampore discovered that cybercriminals had managed to reactivate an old, dormant SBI account in his name and transfer funds from his active account before siphoning the money through multiple withdrawals.

Quoting police sources, Dainik Jagran reported that the fraudsters used forged PAN and Aadhaar documents to reopen the dormant account, originally created between 2001 and 2006 when Banerjee was an MLA from Asansol South. They allegedly changed the registered mobile number, gained access to the account, and moved ₹55 lakh through a series of online transactions.

The CSR Journal reported that the dormant account was based at the Assembly Sub-branch of SBI, and had been inactive for years. The funds were first transferred from Banerjee’s main Kalighat branch account to this old account — a move made possible through falsified identity credentials and photo manipulation. The money was then withdrawn by unknown individuals, police said.

SBI authorities have filed a formal complaint with the Cyber Crime department, which has begun efforts to trace the fraudulent trail and identify those responsible. Investigators are examining transaction logs, IP addresses, and document verification trails linked to the reactivation request.

A TMC leader told The Statesman that Banerjee “is quite hopeful of the cops solving the case at the earliest and getting his money back.”

Reacting to the incident, Banerjee expressed frustration and used the opportunity to take a political swipe at the Centre. “If you keep money in the bank, cyber criminals will take it, and if you keep money at home, Narendra Modi will take it,” he quipped.

The case has raised fresh concerns about cybersecurity in the banking system, especially the process by which dormant accounts can be reactivated and linked to new mobile numbers with forged credentials.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing, with both SBI and the cybercrime unit coordinating to track the money trail and identify the fraudsters behind what appears to be one of the most audacious cyber heists involving a sitting MP in recent years.