Alert Patiala’s PNB banker foils cyber fraud, recovers partial amount, freezes 16 accounts
Kanwar Inder singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ January 31,2026
In a commendable display of alertness and customer service, the Branch Manager and staff of Punjab National Bank (PNB), Bhupindra Road, Patiala, saved a non-customer from falling victim to a cyber fraud. Acting swiftly, the bank team managed to recover part of the defrauded amount and facilitated the freezing of 16 bank accounts linked to the fraudsters.
Rajiv Saini, Branch Manager of PNB, Bhupindra Road, Patiala, along with his team, not only recovered Rs.21,000 from the fraudsters’ account but also played a key role in freezing 16 accounts operated by the fraudsters from Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Sharing details, Saini said that a couple, who are not customers of PNB, visited the branch to deposit Rs.1.40 lakh in cash. The couple appeared extremely anxious and repeatedly enquired about the status of the cash transaction. Sensing something unusual, a lady staff member asked them about their concern. The couple informed her that their son was in trouble and they were transferring the money to an advocate.
Suspecting foul play, the staff member immediately alerted the Branch Manager. Upon verification, it was found that the amount had already been deposited a few minutes earlier, out of which only Rs.21,000 remained in the account, while the rest had been withdrawn.
The Branch Manager promptly alerted the zonal office, head office, and the Ahmedabad office. Acting on the information, the PNB Ahmedabad branch immediately stopped further withdrawals, froze the remaining Rs.21,000, and blocked 16 accounts linked to the fraudsters.
The victim, Ashwani, a petty shopkeeper from Patiala, shared his ordeal. “Today, I received a call claiming that my son, who lives in Canada, was involved in a fight at a club where a person was allegedly injured with a bottle. The caller said my son had been arrested and that traces of the victim’s blood were found on his jacket. The caller introduced himself as a lawyer and demanded Rs.3.62 lakh for my son’s release,” he said.
Ashwani further added, “When we told them that we did not have sufficient money, they agreed to accept Rs.1.40 lakh as an initial payment and threatened that our son would be harmed if the remaining amount of Rs.1.58 lakh was not paid.”
He said they managed to arrange Rs.1.40 lakh in cash and were initially instructed to deposit the money at any SBI branch. However, a few minutes later, the fraudsters asked them to deposit the amount at a PNB branch into account number 4977000100046437, registered under the name ‘Pathan’. Additionally, Rs.12,000 was transferred via GPay to the fraudster’s account.
“After the deposit, we kept receiving calls demanding confirmation. When my wife approached the bank staff to verify the transaction, they became suspicious. The staff of PNB, Bhupindra Road, Patiala, informed us that we had fallen victim to a ‘digital arrest’ scam and advised us to immediately stop all communication with the fraudsters,” Ashwani said.
He further expressed gratitude, stating, “The Branch Manager and staff of PNB, Bhupindra Road, Patiala, took immediate action and froze the fraudster’s account at PNB Ghuma Branch in Ahmedabad. Due to their prompt intervention, Rs.21,000 was recovered, and we were saved from losing more money to this digital arrest fraud.”
