Vadodara: Canara Bank has fallen prey to manipulating fraudsters who have fidgeted with its automated teller machines (ATM) a record 165 times since September 10 and withdrawn Rs 15.7 lakh so far.
An offence of theft and another under Information Technology Act was registered at Manjalpur police station by the manager of the bank’s branch near Vadsar bridge who approached police in connection with the series of burglar attacks.
The ATM centres of Canara Bank near Vadsar bridge and Makarpura have been targeted, said police adding that the accused would visit the centre to withdraw money using a card at first and when the machine dispenses cash, they either try to open the box lock of the ATM or switch off the machine and turn it on immediately.
The cash is removed but the machine cancels the transaction, said cops.
“The machine is programmed in a way that if someone tries to fidget with it, it cancels the transaction even if it is at cash dispensation stage,” said a police official.
Due to this modus operandi, while the cash is withdrawn, the money is not debited from the account as the transaction is cancelled. “The accused will continue to have the money in his account even if he has taken the cash from the machine,” the cop added.
The branch manager learnt about it when the bank’s head office in Bengaluru reported about suspicious transactions. When the footage of CCTV camera was checked, it was found that some persons try to either open the box lock or switch off the machine when the cash is being dispensed. At Makarpura branch 68 such transactions were also detected.