Central Bank of India told police that 187 transfers worth ₹13.97 crore came from its Reserve Bank of India (RBI) settlement account from Oct. 15 to Oct. 17, Hindustan Times and NDTV Profit reported. The bank’s Oct. 19 filing said an RTGS technical glitch affected those same three days.
Mumbai police registered a first information report against unknown people, the outlets said. The complaint listed six transfers on Oct. 15, 88 on Oct. 16 and 93 on Oct. 17, according to the reports.
The bank alleged unauthorized access to payment messaging infrastructure enabled the transfers, the outlets reported. The complaint reportedly said the transfers used the Structured Financial Messaging System (SFMS), which carries payment messages between banks, and that access reached a central SFMS server operated by Indian Financial Technology and Allied Services through the bank’s system.
Central Bank of India’s internal review reportedly found no matching entries in branch, internet banking, mobile banking, core banking, real-time gross settlement (RTGS) settlement-account or SFMS records. The complaint reportedly described partial traces for 10 accounts in SFMS logs, without transaction IDs matching the bank’s records.
The complaint reportedly alleged that the bank and the public whose funds it holds had been cheated. In its Oct. 19 filing, the bank said no customer had suffered financial loss. The disclosure said a technical glitch affected its RTGS outward system from Oct. 15 to Oct. 17. The bank said it had isolated affected systems, engaged experts to examine the cause and was undertaking corrective measures.
The RBI says RTGS handles each transfer as a separate, real-time settlement, with its books serving as the final record. The complaint’s reported allegation concerned access to SFMS messaging, while the bank’s filing described a technical glitch affecting its RTGS outward system.
Hindustan Times and NDTV Profit reported ₹13.97 crore, while Free Press Journal reported ₹13.96 crore. The bank’s filing said it was examining the root cause and taking corrective measures.
