Kataka: The Kataka Police have arrested two alleged members of an ATM card exchange fraud gang accused of cheating bank customers by swapping their ATM cards and withdrawing money using their PINs. The arrests followed an investigation involving CCTV footage analysis, artificial intelligence-enabled cameras and technical surveillance, police said on Sunday.
The accused have been identified as Sambhab Kumar Acharya (37) of Krushnapur Sasan in Jajpur district and Manoj Paik (43) of Khordha district, currently residing at Jharana Sahi under Mancheswar police limits in Bhubaneswar.
According to a police press note, the case came to light after a complaint was lodged at Mangalabag police station on November 3 by Rasmi Ranjan Mohanty, who alleged that his ATM card was fraudulently exchanged at an SBI ATM kiosk at Nuapatna in Kataka.
The incident occurred when an unidentified person, posing as someone willing to assist him with a cash withdrawal, obtained his ATM card and PIN. The accused allegedly returned a different card of similar colour, claiming that the ATM was malfunctioning.
The complainant subsequently discovered that Rs 40,000 had been withdrawn from his bank account in four transactions of Rs 10,000 each at the Kanika Chhak ATM.
Police investigations revealed that the two accused allegedly operated together, targeting unsuspecting customers, particularly senior citizens and those unfamiliar with ATM operations. They reportedly carried multiple ATM cards of different banks and moved between ATM kiosks on a Honda Activa scooter to execute the fraud.
The police said the duo were suspected to be involved in more than 15 cases registered across different police stations in Odisha. Their alleged activities have been reported in several jurisdictions, including Kataka, Bhubaneswar, Jajpur and Puri.
Police seized Rs 40,000 in cash, 18 ATM/debit cards of different banks, two mobile phones, a Honda Activa scooter, a wristwatch, a trolley bag and several clothing items from their possession.
Both accused have been arrested and will be produced before the JMFC court in Kataka. Police said their involvement had also been established in nine other cases and further investigation was underway.
The police have advised ATM users not to hand over their cards or disclose their PINs to strangers, and to verify the card returned by an ATM machine before leaving the kiosk. Suspected card-exchange fraud should be reported immediately to the bank and the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930).
