New Delhi: In a truly unbelievable turn of events, a ninth-grader from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, experienced a fleeting moment of unimaginable wealth when a banking error temporarily credited his account with a staggering Rs 87.65 crore.
The incident, involving 15-year-old Saif Ali, lasted a mere five hours before the colossal sum vanished as mysteriously as it appeared, leaving behind a trail of confusion and a launched bank investigation.
Saif’s unexpected journey into the world of high finance began at a local cyber cafe. While conducting some personal business, he decided to withdraw a modest Rs 500 from his North Bihar Gramin Bank account. Instead of the expected balance, the screen displayed an astronomical figure, Rs 87.65 crore. Both Saif and the cyber cafe owner were initially stunned, attributing the display to a technical glitch. However, repeated checks confirmed the shocking balance.
News of this sudden wealth spread quickly. Saif excitedly shared his discovery with his mother, who in turn alerted a village acquaintance. This individual, visiting a Customer Service Point (CSP) for a bank statement, discovered that the colossal sum had disappeared, leaving a corrected balance of Rs 532. The account was subsequently frozen, leaving Saif’s brief millionaire status a curious anomaly.
The entire episode unfolded over just five hours. When Saif and his family visited the bank to report the incident, bank officials confirmed that the money had vanished, and the balance had reverted to normal. An internal investigation is underway to determine how such a significant sum could have been erroneously credited to Saif’s account.
While the bank remains tight-lipped, local authorities suspect the involvement of cyber fraudsters. Cyber DSP Seema Devi commented on the occurrence, noting the prevalence of such cybercrimes, suggesting the possibility of fraudsters exploiting Saif’s account for some time before the error was discovered.
However, no formal complaint has been filed by Saif or his family with the cyber police station.
