Staff of an electronic surveillance and cash management company caught two men in the act of withdrawing cash fraudulently from an ATM at K.P. Agrahara on July 23.
Based on a series of complaints, the bank manager roped in Transaction Solutions International to look into the matter. Staff kept a close surveillance of ATMs and after analysing CCTV camera footage zeroed in on the two men.
The accused, later identified as Anand Kumar and Shahid Ahmed from Uttar Pradesh, were caught seconds after they withdrew ₹10,000 from the ATM at Jain Temple, Pipeline Road, by employees of the firm. Though the duo had withdrawn cash, the balance in their accounts were intact.
“Inquiries revealed that the duo used an indigenous method of jamming the cash dispenser to block the sensor at the time of dispensing the cash. As the machine is jammed, the transactions would not be recorded even if the money is withdrawn. Using this modus operandi, the duo had withdrawn huge amounts of cash from many ATMs across the city,” said a police officer.
He added that they had opened accounts in several banks. “The bank staff alerted the K.P. Agrahara police who have taken up the case,” the police officer added.
Similar case
the Rajajinagar police arrested Deepak H., 20, also from U.P., who used a similar modus operandi to fraudulently withdraw cash from ATMs. Immediately after inserting the ATM card and pin, Deepak would jam the cash dispenser with his fingers while simultaneously pulling out the cash.
“The system would then report a technical snag and the transaction would be nullified,” said the police.