In a baffling incident that underscores vulnerabilities in digital banking systems, a man from Hathras district in Uttar Pradesh was stunned to find a 36-digit figure credited to his bank account, far exceeding the net worths of the world’s richest individuals, including Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, and Gautam Adani.
The man, identified as Ajit, noticed the astronomical balance after conducting two minor withdrawals of ₹1,800 and ₹1,400 on April 25. Upon checking his account balance, he discovered an amount so large that standard calculators could not compute it.
The balance displayed was:
₹1,00,13,56,00,00,01,39,54,21,00,23,56,00,00,01,39,542
The number, extending to 36 digits, is far beyond any real-world monetary figure in circulation and would hypothetically place Ajit as the richest person in the world, ahead of tech moguls and industrial giants.
Bank Responds, Cites Technical Glitch
Ajit contacted his bank branch to report the anomaly. Bank officials later confirmed that the bizarre figure was the result of a technical glitch, reportedly originating from a branch in Jammu & Kashmir. While the specific cause has not been made public, the error resulted in the misrepresentation of account data.
The bank subsequently advised Ajit to file a police complaint. Concerned about the implications of such a discrepancy, he approached local authorities, who have referred the case to the cybercrime division. His bank account has since been frozen as a precaution while investigations continue.
Concerns About Cybersecurity and System Integrity
Ajit, who leads a modest life and engages in small business activities, expressed concern about potential cyber fraud. His actual account balance is just a few thousand rupees, and he has appealed to authorities to ensure that his real funds are not compromised.
This incident raises serious questions about the reliability of digital banking infrastructure, especially in a landscape where increasing numbers of users rely on mobile and internet banking for daily transactions. While Ajit’s situation appears to stem from a system malfunction, the possibility of human error or deeper technical vulnerabilities cannot be ruled out.
Authorities Investigating
The cybercrime police have registered a case and are currently analyzing the origin and nature of the glitch. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has not commented on the matter yet, but incidents like this may prompt a review of internal controls and transaction monitoring mechanisms at the institutional level.
Disclaimer: The credited amount in question was never accessible for use and remains part of an ongoing investigation. No fraudulent activity by the account holder has been found as of this report.
