Within a span of hardly eight hours, two separate incidents of cyber fraud and money-loot at two ATM counters of a nationalised bank in Survey Park and Howrah respectively since Friday night once again exposed how safety and security systems at ATM counters are not properly monitored in the state.
In the first incident, cyber fraud took place around 8 pm on Friday when several consumers visited the ATM counter of the SBI at Kishore Bharati Stadium branch under Survey Park police station to withdraw money. But the consumers alleged that money was seen debited from their respective accounts when they inserted their cards in the ATM machine and typed PIN numbers to get cash. But, they didn’t get any cash.
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One woman lost more than Rs 1.20 lakh when she inserted her card in the machine several times to withdraw money. She didn’t get a single amount in cash.
Another consumer, Balai Sardar found that he had lost around Rs 70,000 from his account. He had inserted his ATM card and found it got stuck inside the machine.
Aggrieved consumers alleged that the ATM counter was unguarded and no security person was found there at the outlet.
In another incident, a group of miscreants looted around Rs 16 lakh from the ATM counter of the same nationalised bank’s Alampur branch under Sankrail police station in Howrah. The incident happened in the wee hours of Saturday.
According to police sources, the miscreants used a gas cutter to break the ATM machine to loot. They reached the spot by a stolen Bolero from the nearby Domjur area. After completing the operation for about half-an-hour they fled the area and left the vehicle near Dhulagarh toll plaza.
Police have seized the vehicle and found the gas cutter and other accessories inside it.
Praveen Tripathi, Howrah police commissioner and fingerprint experts visited the ATM counter after the incident.
“The criminals looted money in lakhs from the ATM counter after breaking the machine. They had used a gas cutter and other equipment during the operation. We can’t say the exact amount looted. We are conducting raids to nab the culprits,” Mr Tripathi said.
According to Kolkata Police sources, residents in the city have been defrauded of around Rs 100 crore through cyber fraud during last year. Only 15 per cent of the total defrauded amount has been recovered, sources said requesting anonymity.
