Over a period of three days, a total of 2,743 transactions were reportedly conducted using 872 ATM cards to unlawfully acquire cash. Frauds were reported in 18 states across India, including Assam, Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and 10 additional states.
A multinational company’s 200 white-label ATMs installed across 18 states have been allegedly tampered with by a group of unidentified persons, resulting in a fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 2.53 crore. The police have booked the suspects for their involvement in the crime.
On Saturday, a FIR was registered against the accused at the Vanrai police station in Mumbai following a complaint filed by the company. As per the First Information Report (FIR), the police have reported that the accused allegedly conducted a staggering 2,743 transactions with the aid of 872 ATM cards, over a period of three days, in order to deceitfully obtain cash.
Police reports indicate that the initial fraudulent transaction took place on October 12, 2022, and was subsequently reported to the corporate team of the company located in Goregaon. According to police reports, an official from the management of the company filed a complaint at Vanrai police station on December 20th of that year. Prior to this, the company and other contractual agencies conducted an initial investigation into the incident.
According to police, the accused’s modus operandi involved inserting a debit card and initiating a regular transaction. According to the FIR, once the money reaches the dispensary shutter of the ATM, a second individual who is also present at the ATM kiosk will intentionally pull the electric wire or LAN cable to cause a technical malfunction.
The individual in question allegedly caused an error resulting in the dispensing shutter releasing funds, which they proceeded to withdraw. As a result of a technical malfunction, the machine was unable to record the transaction, leading to the reimbursement of the funds back into the customer’s bank account. This has resulted in a financial setback for the company.
According to police reports, an internal investigation has revealed that officials from a certain company discovered that a whopping Rs 2.53 crore was fraudulently withdrawn from the company’s ATM machines across several states in India. The incidents occurred between October 12 and October 14 of last year and affected machines located in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, and 10 other states.
“According to the FIR, the accused reportedly conducted a staggering 2,743 transactions amounting to Rs 2,53,13,100 with the aid of 872 debit cards. As per the statement of an investigator, it has been revealed that the company officials were able to uncover the details of the amount withdrawn, number of transactions, and debit cards used by checking the hard disk of the ATM machines and their records.
The accused are said to have tampered with CCTV cameras installed inside ATM kiosks before fraudulently withdrawing cash from the machines. The absence of footage from cameras installed at ATM kiosks has been attributed to either technical malfunctions or fraudulent activities.
It has been revealed that every ATM machine is equipped with an in-built camera, commonly referred to as a pinhole camera. This camera captures the face of the individual conducting a transaction at the machine. According to the complainant’s police statement, the accused’s face has been captured by the pinhole cameras of the ATM machines and is now being handed over to the police.
Following the receipt of the application, an inquiry was conducted by the Vanrai police, resulting in the registration of a case against the accused under the appropriate sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act.
According to Senior Inspector Rampiyare Gopinath Rajbhar, the company that filed the complaint is involved in the production of ATM machines. It is suspected that the debit cards utilized in the crime were acquired through the opening of bank accounts using fraudulent documentation. An FIR has been registered and authorities are working diligently to apprehend the suspect as soon as possible.
