Fake SBI branch set up overnight in Chhattisgarh village, here is how a villager uncovered it

A recent incident of fraud unearthed in Chhattisgarh, where a fake branch claiming to be of the SBI stands out as a classic case of deception.

The fake branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) was set up overnight in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district around 250 kilometers from the state capital Raipur in a quiet village named Chhapora.

The unit was set up in a rented shop in a commercial complex on September 18, with posters and banners of SBI installed.

Illegal appointments were done and fake training sessions were held. Six people were also recruited and they were happy to have a job at the country's largest bank, SBI.

Ten days later of the opening, a local villager who had applied for an SBI kiosk in Chhapora suspecting something was phoney.

He discovered that an SBI branch had suddenly appeared overnight and that no notice was given out anywhere.

Some locals also complained about it to the police. A team from SBI's regional office in Korba inspected the branch and found it to be fake.

After being alerted by the public sector bank on Friday, police raided the place, the official said.

Five employees were found to be working in the fake branch. They claimed to have been hired through interviews, they are currently being interrogated.

Police have seized computers and other materials from the fake branch.

A case has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against its three operators, including a person who claimed to be the manager and was said to be the mastermind of the fraud, police said.

A probe is underway to ascertain how many people opened accounts with the fake branch and how much money the conmen collected from them. With PTI inputs