In what could have been a high-profile digital heist, cyber fraudsters in Shimla tried to pull a fast one — quite literally — by attempting to transfer nearly Rs eight lakh from the bank account of Himachal Pradesh’s Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh. Masquerading as top state secretariat officials, the scammers made a bold call to the UCO Bank’s Vidhan Sabha branch, banking on panic and urgency to execute a fake RTGS transaction. But what they didn’t count on was a bank manager who had sharper instincts than their script.
The imposters, speaking with confidence and urgency, claimed that an emergency fund transfer of Rs 7.85 lakh needed to be made from the Minister’s account — immediately. While they sounded convincing, the experienced branch manager decided not to take the bait.
Instead of rushing the transaction, the manager placed a quick verification call to the Minister’s personal secretary — and just like that, the whole charade crumbled. No such request had been made, and no money left the account.
The bank then promptly alerted the Baluganj police, who have since registered a case under Sections 319(2) and 62 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A probe is underway to trace the call’s origin and nab the cyber crooks behind this bold attempt.
Police officials confirmed that call detail records and digital trails are being analyzed. “It was an audacious move, but thankfully, vigilance won the day,” said a senior officer.
Cybersecurity experts have flagged the case as a textbook attempt at social engineering — manipulating human behaviour rather than breaching firewalls. “When conmen start calling banks pretending to be from the government, we know the playbook is getting dangerous,” said a digital fraud analyst.
The incident has sparked calls within the government to strengthen digital safeguards for public servants and high-value accounts. It also underscores the urgent need for training and awareness among frontline banking personnel to tackle evolving cyber threats.
As cybercrime continues to escalate in scale and sophistication, the Shimla incident serves as a chilling reminder that no one — not even ministers — is immune to the digital underworld’s reach.
