In a bold scheme, scammers in India set up a fake branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) and operated it for ten days, tricking locals into paying for jobs that didn’t exist.
Residents of Chhapora, a village in Chhattisgarh state, were initially excited about the opening of an SBI branch in their modest community. While some expressed skepticism, many viewed it as a chance for stable employment. Among them was 25-year-old Pintu Dhurve, who secured a cashier position after paying 580,000 rupees (approximately $6,900).
Despite some warning signs—such as the absence of employee ID cards and a lack of actual banking activities—the branch’s official SBI logo, newly furnished workspace, and operational counters led Pintu to believe it was legitimate. “There were 10 computers, and eventually, we also got an internet connection. An alarm bell used to ring for lunch at 1 pm,” he recounted. “I was desperately in need of a job.”
For ten days, the six employees reported to work only to pass the time. The branch manager would arrive around 10 am and leave by noon, instructing them to familiarize themselves with SBI’s website and protocols. Eventually, the manager stopped coming altogether, yet none of the employees raised concerns.
Local villagers, unable to perform any banking operations due to claimed server issues, began to grow suspicious. The truth came to light when Ajay Kumar Agrawal, a resident who filed a complaint with the police about the bank’s dubious explanations, prompted an investigation.
“The manager of the Dabra branch informed us of his suspicion regarding a fake bank operating in Chhapora,” stated police spokesperson Rajesh Patel. “Upon investigation, it was confirmed that the bank was fake, and several employees had been appointed with counterfeit documents.”
The scammers had successfully duped multiple individuals out of significant sums of money by falsely promising them stable jobs at SBI. While no customers were scammed, the job seekers collectively lost 1.2 million rupees (around $14,300).
