Police arrested two persons accused of tampering with ATMs to commit fraud. DCP South Ashish Srivastava, during a press conference, revealed that the two criminals identified as Harsh Katiyar and Pankaj Rathore, residents of Bithoor, used iron plates and nails and swapped ATMs to carry out their scams.
They targeted mostly elderly and uneducated people. Following a complaint from an SBI officer, the police arrested and sent them to jail.The police investigation revealed that the duo specifically targeted State Bank of India (SBI) ATMs across different locations in the city. They would strategically place iron plates and nails inside the ATM's cash dispensing slot, causing the money to get stuck. When unsuspecting customers, particularly the elderly and those unfamiliar with ATM operations, tried to withdraw money, the machine would show a successful transaction, but no cash would be dispensed.
The fraudsters then waited for the customer to leave in frustration, after which they retrieved the stuck money using their tools. This scheme had been operational for several months, causing significant losses to many bank customers.The breakthrough in the case came when an SBI officer noticed unusual transaction patterns and filed a formal complaint with the Kidwai Nagar police station. After examining the CCTV footage and conducting thorough investigations, the police team identified the suspects.