Two debit card offenders were arrested by the Cyberabad police here on Friday.
The police seized ₹2.5 lakh, scanning/swiping machines, 319 debit cards, a bike and two mobile phones from Talla Srinivasula Reddy, 26, and Pilli Konda Reddy, 25, both residents of Shaikpet. The duo hatched a conspiracy to make a quick buck by cheating people. They later availed two Paytm POS machines in the name of Venkateswara Kirana and General Stores and Sri Lakshmi Kirana General Stores from the Paytm and devised a plan to commit theft of contactless mode debit cards from the ATM centres that were forgotten by the different bank clients.
“After stealing such wifi enabled debits cards from ATM centers located at Kukatpally, KPHB Colony, Madhapur, Gachibowli, Golkonda, Ameerpet and elsewhere, they scan the stolen debit cards on the Paytm POS machines that they have purchased and have the money of the bank customers transferred to their bank linked saving accounts i.e. Kotak Mahindra and City Bank,” Commissioner of Police VC Sajjanar said.
As they are aware that the number of transactions per day is limited to only three times, they waved the amounts thrice from the stolen debit cards for fewer amounts -- ₹2,000 to ₹4,000 without PIN numbers on each transaction as the lesser amounts were ignored by the card holders, he said.
Further these card holders do not come forward to lodge complaints at the police station. “Both the accused used the ATM cards which were not blocked by the card holders on the next dates also. Both the above accused have committed the following crimes and committed theft of a sum of ₹1,24,100 by waving contactless mode enabled debit cards of different banks,” Mr.Sajjanar said.
Further, the duo have committed 310 debit card offences and swiped an amount of ₹7.13 lakh and waved ₹8.37 lakh.
