Youth held for committing fraud by tampering with ATM machine

Kolkata: A youth was arrested for allegedly committing fraud by tampering with the ATM machine system and impersonating a bank employee.

Police said Sahil of Gulshan Colony in Anandapur is a history sheeter and was involved in many such crimes in the Bansdroni and Thakurpukur areas in the last one month. He used to trap the card of victims by fixing an additional device in the ATM card slot. When the ATM machine users called the fake helpline number, Sahil used to ask for the ATM PIN and other confidential details.

Later, he used to withdraw and transfer the money from the victim’s bank account. Police found on him three mobile phones, two ATM card readers, one mobile holding slot, a black cap, two ATM cards, two sheets of printout of the helpline number, prints of SBI logo, a sheet full of SBI logo stickers, black spray container and a few other objects.On February 14, the complainant Arup Jyoti Pradhan of Namkhana attempted to withdraw money from a SBI ATM of Jadavpur Stadium branch using the card linked with his account at Bank of Baroda.

He punched the card but it got stuck in the machine’s card slot. When he failed to remove it, he noticed a helpline number on the ATM counter wall. He called on the helpline number. The accused Md. Sahil received the call and impersonated as an SBI executive. He assured Pradhan of help. Sahil sought from Pradhan card and the bank account details. These were shared. About Rs 1,30,000 was debited from the victim’s linked bank account in 10 transactions valued 10,000 each. When Pradhan got the debit messages, he understood he got duped.

On February 15, he lodged a complaint at the Survey Park Police Station against an unknown accused person. During investigation, police checked the CCTV footage of the ATM counter and obtained the electronic details and money trail from the concerned bank. The Cyber Crime police station later took over the investigation.