They came to India all the way from Romania on a ‘mission’ to skim data from ATM machines and siphon off money from bank accounts after getting instructions from their ‘boss’ in London.
However, their mission failed after two tricksters were arrested by Hyderabad police on Thursday.
The duo affixed magnetic card reading skimmers and spy cameras at eight ATM centres across the city and sent the data to London, said Hyderabad Commissioner of Police Anjani Kumar. They install skimmers, as well as spy cameras to get the Personal Identity Number.
Modus operandi
Explaining their modus operandi, DCP (Central Zone) P. Vishwa Prasad said the prime accused Dinita Virgil Sorinel (47), used to place the skimmers and cameras to the ATMs, while his associate George Christian (28) would collect the data and send it to their master in London.
“One Christi from London sent them to India by giving the machines and plane magnetic strip shopping cards to skim and clone the debit cards data,” he said.
“The small camera, hidden inside a panel above the keypad will record the PIN, while the skimmer fixed to the card slot will record the number on the magnetic strip, which will be cloned to another card,” he said.
Sorinel lives at a service apartment in Anjaiah Nagar, while Christian rented a flat in Begumpet, the police officer said.
Mr. Prasad said that the fraud came to light on October 14 after the security guard of an ATM centre in Jagdish Market informed the bank manager that some suspicious equipment was fastened to the machine.
Based on a complaint by the bank manager, Abids police registered a case and started a probe, during which they examined hundreds of CCTV cameras from Abids to Anjaiah Nagar in Gachibowli.
“The tricksters changed three autorickshaws to reach the targeted ATM centre in Jagdish Market,” the DCP said on Thursday.
