Kolkata Police have stepped up surveillance at ATM kiosks of several nationalised and private banks in the city following the spate of ATM fraud cases earlier this month. A round-the-clock watch is on from the last two weeks. Police have also issued a set of advisories for the safety of the bank customers.
Two persons, including the kingpin of the ATM fraud racket have already been nabbed from Delhi by the city police. Yet, some persons associated with the gang might still be active. “We are maintaining round-the-clock surveillance at both manned and unmanned ATM kiosks so that the fraudsters cannot get any chance to install skimmers. Police teams are patrolling near specific kiosks which have been marked as vulnerable. Cyber Cell is also checking for technical loopholes,” said the DC (SSD), Sudeep Sarkar.
Jadavpur area was the worst hit in the massive ATM fraud earlier this month and as many as 49 customers from here lost money due to fraudulent withdrawals. Meanwhile, the anti-bank fraud section of the Detective Department has issued an advisory with a set of safety guidelines. It has urged customers to be aware of fraudulent calls made by cyber criminals and adopt a few safe practices while withdrawing money from the ATMs and making payments online.
A new helpline number 8585063104 has been opened by the anti-bank fraud section where customers can lodge complaints regarding financial fraud. Police have urged customers not share any details of their bank accounts or ATM cards over the phone as cyber criminals often ask for these details posing as bank officials.
Customers using various online wallets for making payments have been requested to keep their OTPs (One Time Passwords) secret. “Always be alert while withdrawing money from ATM. Use only those ATM kiosks where security guards are present and ensure that no other person is present inside the kiosk when you put in the PIN. Also, never ask for help from any stranger. Always change ATM PIN frequently and never share your card details with anyone,” read the advisory