Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee has reportedly been a victim of cyber fraud, with approximately Rs 56 lakh siphoned from his dormant bank account. The incident came to light when the State Bank of India (SBI) lodged a formal complaint with the Kolkata police's cybercrime department.

Banerjee, who previously served as the MLA for Asansol South from 2001 to 2006, had an account opened at a public sector bank's legislative assembly sub-branch during his tenure. This account, which received all his allowances as an MLA, had not seen any transactions for a long time, leading to its classification as a 'dormant account.'

The fraud occurred on October 28, when an unidentified cybercriminal accessed Banerjee's account at SBI's Kolkata High Court branch. The scammer allegedly updated the account's Know Your Customer (KYC) details using forged documents, including a fake PAN card and Aadhaar card, along with manipulated photographs. This gave the fraudster complete access to the account.

Once inside, the hacker executed multiple online transactions, transferring a total of Rs 56,39,767 to various beneficiary accounts. Some of the funds were also withdrawn through ATMs, and part of the money was reportedly used to purchase jewellery. The unusual activity in the account prompted a review by the bank, leading to the discovery of the theft.

The Cyber Crime Cell is currently investigating the case, tracing the digital trail to identify the perpetrators and recover the stolen funds. This incident highlights the increasing threat of cyber fraud, even affecting public figures, and has raised concerns about the need for stronger verification processes for KYC updates and banking transactions.