Attempted ATM scam foiled by alert bank manager; duo arrested
ONE DISTRACTED THE VICTIM, OTHER ACCESSED CASH
NAVI MUMBAI: Alertness by a bank manager averted a potential ATM scam, leading to the arrest of a duo engaged in tampering with the ATM. The incident occurred on March 3 at the State Bank of India (SBI) ATM in sector 14, Vashi.
Ansar Nayab Ali, 24, and Mohammad Shoaib Jaleel Ahmed, 22, were caught redhanded, and an FIR was registered under IPC sections 379 (theft) and 34 (common intention).
The bank manager Arun Chandraprakash Mina, 36, while visiting the ATM attached to the bank observed Ali and Ahmed suspiciously fiddling with the machine. He immediately alerted the Vashi police. “On inspecting the machine, it came to our notice that the slot from where the cash is released was closed using a plastic plate. Due to the plate, customers using the machine wouldn’t get any cash yet they would get alerts from the bank of successful transactions,” said the senior police inspector, Madhukar Bhate.
The police, dressed in civilian attire, monitored the ATM, leading to the arrest of the culprits when they attempted to pick up cash withdrawn by another customer, Bhavesh Kumar Vita. “Even though Vita got a message saying ₹20,000 was withdrawn, he couldn’t get the cash. While he waited outside worried, one of the culprits went in, removed the blockage, and took the money debited from Vita’s account,” Bhate explained.
The duo was arrested from the spot. During the investigation, the police recovered 22 ATM cards registered to various individuals, along with plastic plates used to block ATM shutters. The police suspect the duo may be part of a larger group involved in the scam. “Their modus operandi appears to involve jamming the shutters to exploit worried customers, usually targeting senior citizens. While one distracts the victim, the other accesses trapped cash and scans customers’ ATM cards for further fraudulent transactions. We will be getting in touch with the owners of the ATM cards found with the culprits to determine the nature of the crime they or their group is involved in,” said the inspector.