Hong Kong bank returns Rs 5.72 cr to Cosmos Bank

PUNE: Following continuous follow-up by the City Police Cyber Crime Police Station in the Rs 94.42 crore cyber heist of Cosmos Bank in August 2018, the Hang Seng Bank of Honk Kong has returned Rs 5.72 crore in the first instalment to Cosmos Bank.

In August 2018, servers of Cosmos Bank were hacked to launch cyber attack.

In the first attack on August 11, 2018, Rs 78 crore was withdrawn in transactions in 28 countries across the globe. This included 12,000 Visa card transactions. On the same day, Rs 2.5 crore was withdrawn through 2,800 debit card transactions in India at various locations. Also on August 13, the hackers transferred Rs 13.94 crore into an account in Hang Seng Bank in Hong Kong. 

Following the incident officials of Cyber Crime Police Station, Cosmos Bank, Government of India were coordinating with the Hong Kong government to crack the fraudulent transactions.

PI Jayram Paigude of Cyber Crime Department said the case was handed over to multiple detectives of Hong Kong and recently, following an order from the court in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Bank decided to hand over Rs 5.72 crore to Cosmos Bank. Till date, more than 15 persons have been arrested in the case from across India.