ATM CLONING GANG BUSTED
NEW DELHI: An ATM cloning gang was busted after police received complaints regarding several unauthorised withdrawals from ATMS. Investigations revealed that around 88 unauthorised transactions in the span of one week were done from two ATMS in Tilak Nagar, West Delhi. Four members Dharmendra Saini, Siddharth , Sunil Kumar, and Mayank Shukla were arrested.
Criminals used to install a skimming machine on ATMS and clone the ATM cards and withdraw money from the account of victims by using cloned ATM Cards.
Total 300 white cards used for cloning and making new ATM Cards, 85 used cards, 30 other banks debit cards, 50 Data Cables, USB charge cables, card device, four plastic panels fitted with battery, chips, and small camera, six plain plastic panels, four plastic mouses, 12 batteries to be used with panels, 30 small batteries which are used with card reader, four wired card readers which are used along with small battery at the mouth to copy data, one pistol and 16 live cartridges, one XUV 500, one I 20 car, one Scorpio, two laptops, four mobile phones & Rs 15,60,000 were recovered at the instance of accused persons.
Monika Bhardwaj, DCP, West Delhi said, "We had registered a case on May 11 after we got around 28 complaints about the unauthorised deduction of money from ATMS."
As per the police, Gandhi and Saini were previously involved in such cases.
Bhardwaj said, "Gandhi and Saini have around 20 previous involvements in such cases. They have previously been arrested in Jaipur, Chandigarh, and Mumbai."
The accused had targeted ATMS that did not have any guards while skimming machines, plain cards, and artificial keypads were bought online, Bhardwaj revealed.
ATMS without guards were targeted. The two ATMS in Tilak Nagar did not have any guard. Moreover, withdrawals were not done from one single ATM.
“Public should always check the ATM machine prior to using it. The card reader section if extended or keypad on the ATM seems to protrude oddly, or some other suspicious activity is noticed, local police should be informed immediately,” the DCP added.