Panvel police have arrested one person belonging to a three-member gang that tricked visitors to ATM kiosks into parting with their debit cards and passwords.
The accused, identified as Vicky Pandit Salve (28), was arrested by members of a police patrolling team who saw him and two accomplices withdrawing money from an ATM kiosk.
Police Sub Inspector Devidas Palve said, “The patrolling team found the behaviour of Salve and his partners to be suspicious. They were withdrawing money using multiple cards and they fled from the kiosk when we approached them. We managed to chase Salve and nab him.” The police have recovered 32 debit cards from Salve, who is a resident of Ulhasnagar.
Mr. Palve said that the gang used to wait outside ATM kiosks and target vulnerable customers, mostly women and senior citizens. He said on seeing a potential victim approaching, one of the gang members would enter the kiosk and press all the buttons on the keypad.
The gang member would then inform the customer that the ATM machine was out of order. He would then encourage the customer to try his luck anyway and while he was using the card, the gang member would discreetly note down the password and leave the kiosk.
Mr. Palve said, “This is the cue for the other gang member to enter the kiosk. He would see the customer unable to withdraw cash and offer to help him. The gang member would then ask the customer to hand over the card to him and exchange it for a duplicate one. After several failed attempts, the customer would leave and the gang members would withdraw money using the original ATM card.”
Salve has cases registered against him in Bhiwandi, Karjat and Kalamboli police stations. He withdrew ₹10,000 from an ATM kisok in Kalamboli and ₹3.70 lakh using a card of a Lonavala resident.
