3 held for duping people by changing debit cards at ATMs

GREATER NOIDA: Three members of a gang involved in cheating people at ATM kiosks were arrested on Sunday. The men would change the victims' cards on the pretext of helping them and later withdraw money from them. The police have recovered 35 debit cards of different banks and some cash from them. The accused have been identified as Shahzad (24) and Shakir (23), residents of Ghaziabad and Aman (25), a resident of Shahadra in Delhi
Akhilesh Pradhan, SHO, Surajpur Police station, said the gang members used to roam around rural areas and spot some ATM kiosks.

"They used to station themselves outside the ATMs and pretend to stand in a queue to withdraw money. They used to spot some naive or uneducated person and extend help to withdraw money. In the process, they used to change debit cards and insert the disused one in the machine. They also asked the cardholder the password and used it only to get a message of a failed transaction," Pradhan said.

The accused used to hand over the disused card to users and leave the spot. Later, they would withdraw all the money.

Police on Saturday night received a tip-off about the gang members near an ATM kiosk in Surajpur. A team rushed to the spot and apprehended the three suspects. The accused admitted that they have been involved in this crime for the past two years. Shahzad said the gang members changed debit card of a person named Ravi Jindal in Surajpur on March 25.

"We later visited Noida Sector 18 and withdrew money from his card. We then went to a shopping mall and purchased a gold chain, shoes and clothes," he said.

The accused informed police that sometimes they were also accompanied by family members. Shahzad's parents - Sagheer and Shahana - are also wanted in this case. The gang committed similar crimes in Delhi-NCR, and rural parts of Haryana, Rajasthan, Bulandshahr, etc.

Police found 35 debit cards of PNB Bank, SBI, Union Bank, HDFC Bank, UCO Bank, Bank of Baroda, Kotak Mahindra, Axis Bank, Corporation Bank, ICICI Bank, Indian Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Dena Bank, City Bank, Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank. Police also found Rs 2,000 cash from their possession. "We have registered a case under Section 379 (theft), Section 411 (dishonesty), Section 420 (cheating)," Pradhan said.