IDFC First points to connivance of staff and outsiders in branch fraud

Core Viewpoint - IDFC First Bank reported ₹590 crore in unauthorized transactions linked to Haryana government accounts, stating the incident was isolated to a single branch in Chandigarh and involved fraudulent activities by certain employees in collusion with external parties [1][10]. Group 1: Incident Details - The unauthorized transactions were executed using forged cheques and fraudulent authorization letters, indicating that they were manual transactions conducted at the branch level [5][10]. - The bank has confirmed that the issue is specific to one branch and one client group, asserting that there is no system-level issue and that all other branches are operating normally [7][11]. Group 2: Internal Controls - IDFC First Bank has established necessary internal controls, including a maker-checker-authorizer system for clearing cheques and debit instructions, and has not experienced such incidents in over 10 years of operation [6][11]. - The bank also sends periodic system-generated statements and alerts to registered customer IDs, which were bypassed in this case due to employee collusion with third parties [6][11]. Group 3: Financial Impact and Recovery Efforts - The initial financial impact of the incident is assessed at ₹590 crore, but the final implications will depend on recoveries and validation of claims [8][9]. - The bank is taking steps to trace the flow of funds and will pursue civil and criminal actions against those involved, including marking liens on suspicious accounts held with other banks [9][11].