Crime Branch of Delhi Police has busted a gang which cheated several banks by tampering with ATMs while withdrawing money.
The gang members used to obstruct the cash dispenser of ATM after withdrawing money prompting it to generate an error message on the basis of which they later claimed the same amount again from bank.
Police have arrested two men in this connection who have been identified as Pushpender (23) and Ravi (22) following scrutiny of CCTV footage.
"While withdrawing cash from an ATM, the gang used to block the shutter of its currency dispenser for a moment using some object and let 1 or 2 currency notes to slip back in the machine.
"Resulting which an error report is generated by an ATM that the transaction could not be completed despite the fact that they successfully withdraw the amount," said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav.
They would claim the transacted amount from the bank on the basis of the error report thus getting double amount, he said.
"They even took other individual account holders' ATM cards for this purpose who were paid Rs 5,000 per card," the officer said.
The gang came under police scanner as over a period of the last one and half years, banks had been receiving complaints of non-disbursement of cash at ATM machines though on checking, the cash was found to have been disbursed.
CCTV footage also confirmed that the cash was being disbursed by the ATM. In this regard, a complaint was lodged in Crime Branch.
Police registered an FIR under Section 420/120B of IPC and all such fraudulent transactions were scrutinised and their CCTV footage was also obtained following which the suspects were nabbed.
"During interrogation, they have confessed that they have cheated various banks to the tune of Rs 8 lakh. The accused would open accounts in different banks and would get ATM cards issued. Besides, they would also get bank accounts opened in the name of their family members, friends and relatives," said Yadav.
More than 40 bank accounts have been identified. It is a well organised gang operating in Delhi/NCR and other states also. In this regard, more members of the gang have been identified and efforts are on to trace them, police said.
Police have recovered 13 ATM cards of various banks, Rs 37,000 cash and 6 lakh (approx.) deposited in different bank accounts along with an Iphone 6 purchased from the cheated amount.
