This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.

Man Invents 199 'People' And Swindles Banks Off Rs 63 Lakh

Man Invents 199 'People' And Swindles Banks Off Rs 63 Lakh

www.mightytravels.com/2015/05/how-many-credit-cards-shoul..." data-caption="Picture courtesy of ForbesTable of Contents1 How many credit cards should I have?2 How many credit cards should I have? Costs versus benefits…3 So just how many credit cards should I have?How many credit cards should I have?When asking the question, “How many credit cards should I... www.mightytravels.com/2015/05/how-many-credit-cards-shoul..." data-credit="mighty.travels/Flickr">

Until last week Jagan Mohan Reddy from Hyderabad wielded 145 credit cards--none under his own name-- and used them over seven months to siphon nearly Rs 63 lakh from some of India's top banks.

For this card trick, The New Indian Express reports, Reddy invented 199 people with everything that the bureaucratic India needs to classify you as a person such as voter identity cards, PAN Cards and punctiliously-accurate income tax forms. He relied, however, on a vast network of real people including government officials, courier boys and officers at public sector banks who were bribed into approving the forged documents.

Disclosing details at a press conference, Cyberabad Police Commissioner CV Anand said that the brazen manner in which the Voter ID and PAN cards were obtained posed a "security threat."

Even the police seemed to find it hard to conceal their admiration for Reddy's meticulousness.

For instance, Reddy, knowing that an applicant would get call from banks after applying for credit cards, bought 57 mobile phones, 37 land-line phones, some of which had slots for upto 4 SIM card, the police said. “The passport size photographs he bought from Photo Studios or downloaded them from Internet,” said Anand, "His house was like a telephone exchange."

When he was apprehended Reddy had 75 HDFC Credit Cards, 55 SBI Credit Cards, 22 American Express Cards and three Indusind Cards which he used to amass Rs 65 lakh.

Contact HuffPost India

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.