Bank of Baroda enables fraudulent practices to meet unrealistic app download targets

Bank of Baroda, one of India's largest public sector banks, faced a scandal involving fraudulent practices as staff sought to meet unrealistic app download targets. To achieve these targets, staff members downloaded a list of bank accounts not linked to mobile numbers and input random numbers, linking these accounts to the bank's app. In some cases, where customers did not have smartphones, staff members called them to the branch, inserted their own SIM cards, and signed them up. These practices allowed the bank to claim success with the app, but also led to unauthorized access to customer accounts and the theft of approximately 22 lakh rupees. The bank's internal audit, which was conducted by its own employees, has been criticized as a charade, with allegations of forging documents and signatures to cover up the fraudulent activities.