JOIN USConmen ‘fool’ ATM, make away with Rs 3 lakh in Bengaluru
Fraudsters literally fooled an ATM and withdrew Rs 2.95 lakh in what has turned out to be the first-of-its-kind bank fraud in Bengaluru.
All they did was switch off the power supply of the machine at the precise second it dispensed cash. This tricked the bank's server into believing that the transaction had failed. As a result, the money wasn't debited from the account even though cash had been dispensed.
This is arguably the simplest ATM fraud to date, and joins the likes of thermo-cam, skimmer, glue stick and exit shutter manipulation tricks.
The fraud took place at a Federal Bank ATM in Chikkajala, North Bengaluru, on October 14 and 15, according to a police complaint filed by Nisha S Variyar (32), the head of the bank's Chikkajala branch, on October 18. The ATM is located on the branch premises.
The fraud came to light on October 15 when bank staff tried to replenish the ATM cassette. A cassette is a box where currency notes are stacked. Checking the cassette and the bank records revealed a discrepancy in the amount of cash available. A cash count put the difference at Rs 2.95 lakh.
Certain that a fraud had been committed, bank officials checked the CCTV footage. The evidence was there for all to see. At 8.11 am on October 14, a man is seen doing a transaction at the ATM while another man is standing near the electrical outlet inside the kiosk.
Using a debit card, the man at the ATM enters the amount he wants to withdraw as well as the PIN. Just when the cassette dispenses the cash, the other man switches off the power supply but switches it on seconds later. The men returned to the ATM at 8.25 am on October 15 and withdrew more cash with the same trick.
As per Variyar's complaint, two debit cards were used in the fraud: a) card number 4048346717895778, issued to account number 998011474884098; and b) card number 4048346709773009, issued to account number 99980119538580.
The first account is in the name of Yasir Arafat, a resident of Faridabad, Haryana. The second account is in the name of Waseem Akram, a resident of Gurugram, Haryana. Arafat's card was used to withdraw Rs 1.75 lakh while Akram's card was used to withdraw 1.2 lakh. Both accounts were opened online through video-based KYC verification, according to the bank official.
Chikkajala police have registered a case under IPC sections related to cheating by personation, and cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property. Efforts are underway to nab the suspects.
The bank manager has submitted the account holders' necessary documents and CCTV footage, police said.