Cyber fraudsters allegedly siphon Rs 22.30 crore from Tamil Nadu department
Funds allocated for rural healthcare infrastructure were diverted through an online portal to multiple bank accounts across the country.
Cyber criminals allegedly siphoned off Rs 22.30 crore from the Tamil Nadu Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department between October 12 and October 30, according to South First.
The funds, which were allocated by the 15th Finance Commission for improving primary healthcare infrastructure in rural areas, were held in an HDFC Bank account in Chennai.
Block Development Officer and Superintendent Ramprasad lodged a complaint with the Chennai Police Commissioner alleging that unidentified persons gained unauthorised access to the account through an online portal.
The fraud reportedly involved 46 transactions using the Maker and Checker user ID credentials associated with Block Development Offices in Keezhaiyur, Mandapam, and Dharapuram.
The money was allegedly transferred to various companies and individuals across the country, including Samvyadh Marketing, Krishna Kirana Store, and Nexvora Commerce Private Limited.
The Chennai Central Crime Branch's Cyber Crime Wing has registered a case and launched an investigation to determine how the portal was accessed and if credentials were compromised.