West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has ordered a special investigation into alleged fake beneficiaries of the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, a women's cash transfer programme from the previous government, also initiating a money laundering probe.
In a bid to further speed up student visas and offload Indian students' fiscal worries while studying in New Zealand, the country's High Commission in New Delhi has come up with the Funds Transfer Scheme.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the first phase of fund transfers under the 'Annapurna Yojana' will begin on June 3, with eligible women beneficiaries receiving Rs 3,000 directly in their bank accounts.
The Nadia district administration has launched an investigation after 173 male names were detected in the beneficiary list of the 'Lakshmir Bhandar' scheme meant for women in Dhubulia area.
The Delhi government has notified detailed guidelines for the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, outlining strict provisions for beneficiaries found ineligible, including discontinuation of financial assistance, recovery of disbursed funds, and potential fraud charges. The scheme provides Rs 2,500 monthly to eligible women, with specific rules for fund disbursement via RD/FD accounts and CBDC wallets, along with clear eligibility and exclusion criteria.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has identified significant financial irregularities in the Maharashtra government's flagship Ladki Bahin scheme, including an excess expenditure of Rs 3,541.16 crore and the parking of Rs 15,586 crore in Virtual Personal Deposit Accounts (VPDAs) without immediate need. The report highlights deficiencies in budget estimation and financial management, recommending realistic fund assessments and strict adherence to expenditure needs.
India's markets regulator, Sebi, has issued a warning to listed companies and regulated entities about an emerging cyber fraud known as the "Boss Scam." This scam involves fraudsters impersonating senior officials like CEOs or MDs to trick finance teams into transferring funds, often using advanced AI tools or malicious software. Sebi advises organisations to verify requests independently and report incidents to prevent financial losses.
A former industries extension officer in Thiruvananthapuram has been arrested by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) for allegedly misappropriating Rs 3.57 crore from a self-employment scheme for women. The officer, Praveen Raj T R, is also implicated in two other similar cases involving significant amounts.
The Indian government has introduced a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions exceeding Rs 2,000, effective October 15. This move ends nearly six years of fully free UPI payments, though person-to-person (P2P) transfers and small P2M payments remain free. The charges aim to bolster investment in UPI infrastructure, with specific exemptions and caps for essential sectors.
Bank fraud is no longer just an external cyber threat -- insiders with legitimate access can exploit banking systems, trusted credentials and institutional blind spots to quietly siphon money.
India's banking system liquidity has fallen into a deficit for the first time in nearly three months, prompting the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to inject 1.41 trillion through a seven-day variable rate repo (VRR) auction to ease the temporary tightness.
A savings or current account with no customer-induced transaction for more than 24 months is classified as inoperative.
The CBI has filed two chargesheets in connection with the siphoning of Rs 657 crore from Haryana government and Chandigarh Smart City Limited funds held at IDFC First Bank. The fraud involved fictitious transactions, shell entities, and alleged gold purchases and real estate investments, with IDFC First Bank having already reimbursed the Haryana government.
The government is introducing a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI person-to-merchant payments above Rs 2,000, effective October 15. This move ends the zero-MDR regime, aiming to fund UPI infrastructure and sustainability, as the previous government subsidy was insufficient to cover operational costs. Payments between individuals and most everyday merchant transactions will remain free.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) stated that the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) "is distributed only amongst the UPI ecosystem, to further invest into infrastructure resilience, innovation, cybersecurity (protecting the UPI infrastructure with banks and non-banks) and customer service."
'Ultimately, banks are a channel for people to get some long-term return, and this means banks need to adjust their asset-liability mismatch.' 'Customers also need long-term deposits, say those of three-five years. How would they get them if returns on those deposits do not climb?' 'Otherwise, on fixed deposits, a senior citizen doesn't get anything.'
The change comes at a time when online MF distributors are increasingly moving investors from the SoA mode to demat holdings.
Taxability in property transactions depends on the actual source of funds and beneficial ownership, not on whose name appears in the purchase agreement.
Two men have been arrested in Delhi for allegedly defrauding a resident of Rs 2 lakh through a fake online trading scheme.
The CBI has arrested five individuals, including a key figure, in connection with the LUCC chit fund scam in Uttarakhand, which involves over Rs 400 crore. The case concerns alleged irregularities by the Loni Urban Multi-State Credit and Thrift Co-operative Society (LUCC), accused of enticing investors into unregulated schemes.
Delhi Police have arrested two individuals for allegedly defrauding a man of Rs 7 lakh through a fake stock investment scheme operated via a social media app. The accused lured victims with promises of high returns before siphoning off the funds.
The main accused in the Kerala Lottery Welfare Fund fraud case, Sangeeth, has claimed he burnt Rs 6 crore in cash, consisting of demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, after being unable to use them. He is accused of embezzling Rs 14 crore from the welfare fund, prompting a forensic investigation.
Banks shall not charge fees for transactions settled on IMPS and UPI in excess of rates charged for NEFT for transactions above Rs 1,000, the order said.
Fraudsters in Thane, Maharashtra, allegedly duped 11 residents by promising low-cost housing under a government scheme and forging their credentials to open bank accounts for larger financial transactions.
A sophisticated cross-bank syndicate is systematically defrauding non-resident Indians (NRIs) and elderly citizens by exploiting their fixed deposits through forged documents and fictitious loans, often involving colluding bank employees and real estate deals.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have been fiscally stressed for a considerable period of time, and there are no easy ways to mobilise revenues to meet the cost of the promised freebies, particularly in the prevailing difficult economic scenario, points out M Govinda Rao.
A farmer in Maharashtra received a message indicating a one-paisa credit instead of the expected Rs 2,000 under the PM-Kisan scheme, causing confusion. The Agriculture Department later clarified it was a technical error and the full instalment had been successfully processed.
'It's not about individuals operating the mule accounts being more or less skilled. Instead, 'lower-level' refers to the role the individual account plays in the broader mule network.'
rediffGURU Vipul Bhavsar answers readers' personal income tax queries
The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth approximately Rs 112.90 crore, including a residential property in Texas, USA, in a money-laundering case. The case involves a Noida-based air-conditioner components manufacturer, LEEL Electricals Limited, and its promoters, accused of defrauding a consortium of banks led by SBI of Rs 376 crore through manipulated financial statements and siphoning off funds.
India's market regulator, Sebi, has approved the re-introduction of open-market share buybacks through stock exchanges, effective August 1, 2026, alongside easing debt listing norms for RBI-regulated entities and simplifying rules for mutual funds and alternative investment funds.
Understanding a product and assessing its suitability improve the chances of staying invested. Use life insurance mainly to cover risk, not to seek returns.
Citibank has introduced a new scheme, which will enable its account holders to transfer funds from a Citibank account in the United States to a rupee checking account in India using its online service or ATMs.
Three individuals have been arrested in Shivamogga, Karnataka, in connection with a nationwide cyber fraud operation involving over Rs 82 crore and 352 registered complaints.
Only Rs 3,000 cr has been disbursed. Over 80% of these transfers were for cooking gas subsidy.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached properties worth Rs 1.06 crore in connection with the 'Global Media App' fraud, an online earning platform that allegedly generated over Rs 45 crore through illicit means.
A 52-year-old labourer, Santosh Kumar Gupta, has been arrested in New Delhi for allegedly facilitating an online investment fraud by lending his bank account to route Rs 5 lakh of defrauded money. He is suspected of acting as an India-based facilitator for an international cyber fraud network.
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