The North East Cyber Crime Police on Saturday arrested a 32-year-old labourer from Raichur who had cheated a retired government servant on the pretext of helping him withdraw money from the ATM. The accused, Mallinath Angadi, took the senior citizen’s debit card and handed over a duplicate card while retaining the original card.
M.G. Ramakrishne Gowda, who went to generate the PIN for his newly issued debit card at the Canara bank ATM in Yelahanka New Town on May 21, was helped by an unidentified person who also helped him withdraw ₹40,000. Mr. Gowda returned home with the card handed over by the unidentified person and retuned to the ATM on June 13 to know that the entire saving of ₹8.5 lakh had been withdrawn and the debit card he had with him was fake.
Based on the complaint, the police tracked down the accused by analysing footage from over hundred of CCTV cameras and arrested Mallinath, a native of Raichur and resident of Attur layout, and recovered 75 gram of gold valuables and a mobile phone from him.
According to the police, Mallinath used to target uneducated and senior citizen visiting ATMs and offered to help them withdraw money or change the PIN. He would divert their attention and handover the fake debit cards while retaining the original cards with him. Since he was familiar with the PIN numbers, the accused used the cards to withdraw and spend the money lavishly, a senior police official said. Mallinath has been booked for cheating and under various sections of Information Technology Act, 2000.
The police have advised people not to take help from strangers at the ATM kiosks and to strictly not share the PIN or debit card details with unknown persons. People visiting the ATM should check for the suspicious objects installed at the ATM machine and ensure the safety of debit cards at the crowded places.
