Four held in Noida for ATM fraud: Police

Noida, Oct 16 (PTI) Police have arrested four men for allegedly withdrawing money from ATM kiosk by deceiving the users on the pretext of offering help, officials said on Thursday.

The accused were caught with 67 ATM cards, cash worth Rs 2,840, four knives, one mobile phone, a PAN card, and other materials.

The arrested men have been identified as Pankaj Kumar (41), Dharmendra (32), Navlesh Singh (39), and Gopal (25), according to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Central Noida, Shavya Goyal.

The gang would target crowded ATMs after conducting a recce of the area, said Goyal.

"One member would accompany a customer inside the kiosk, while another kept watch outside. They used to place black tape over the ATM's cash dispensing slot in advance," she explained.

When an unsuspecting victim entered their PIN, the transaction would fail due to the tape, which was placed to prevent the machine from dispensing money. The accused inside the kiosk would then offer help, replacing the ATM card under the guise of assistance. Once the victim left, the gang would remove the tape and withdraw the money until the ATM card’s limit was exhausted. The stolen cards were then used for shopping, police said.

A case has been registered under sections 303(2) (theft), 318(4) (cheating), 317(2) (stolen property), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Arms Act, at the Phase 3 Police Station, Noida. The authorities are continuing their investigation to track any other victims or associates involved in the racket. PTI COR HIG HIG