Bank frauds top Rs36,000cr in 1st 9 mths of ’25-26

Nagpur: India's banking sector reported frauds amounting to 36,729.45 crore during first nine months of 2025-26 financial year, with 17,574 cases registered across 56 public and private sector banks, according to data shared by Reserve Bank of India (RBI).Among all lenders, Punjab National Bank (PNB) reported highest financial loss at 7,938.53 crore from 479 fraud cases. State Bank of India (SBI) followed with losses of 6,873.45 crore. While Axis Bank recorded the highest number of fraud cases at 3,350, the total amount involved stood comparatively lower at 857.01 crore. Other banks reporting major losses included IndusInd Bank at 3,556.41 crore, IDBI Bank at 2,664.42 crore and Union Bank of India at 1,844.16 crore.The information, obtained through RTI by Abhay Kolarkar, highlights the continuing challenge of financial frauds in the country's banking system despite repeated regulatory interventions and awareness campaigns.The data pertains to period between April 2025 and Dec 2025 and includes cases related to loan frauds, cyber frauds, forged documentation, unauthorised transactions and other financial irregularities reported by banks to the RBI.