Panchkula police end gang’s ATM card swapping spree - Hindustan Times
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Panchkula police end gang’s ATM card swapping spree

By, Panchkula
Jun 01, 2023 02:09 AM IST

A motorcycle without a number plate and 31 ATM cards of different banks have been recovered from the accused’s possession, said Panchkula police

With the arrest of two persons hailing from Uttar Pradesh, police have busted an inter-state gang that had been duping people by swapping their ATM cards with fake ones and later withdrawing cash using the real ones.

The accused in Panchkula police custody. (HT Photo)
The accused in Panchkula police custody. (HT Photo)

The two accused have been identified as Jagmohan, 36, and Pappu Kumar, alias Pravesh Kumar, 38, both from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. A motorcycle without a number plate and 31 ATM cards of different banks have been recovered from their possession.

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As per police, the gang would mostly target villagers and senior citizens, assuming that they were not well-versed with technology.

With the arrest of the accused, police have solved eight cases of ATM swapping reported in Raipur Rani, said inspector Mohinder Singh, in-charge, Sector 26 crime branch.

A crime branch team caught the duo from outside an ATM on Trilokpur Road following a tip-off.

A case under Section 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against them at the Raipur Rani police station. The accused were produced before a court on Wednesday and sent to four-day police remand.

Modus operandi

The preliminary investigation revealed that the accused used to procure ATM cards from pickpockets and thieves to swap with the real ones.

“The accused would approach their target in lieu of offering help to withdraw money from an ATM. They would take the ATM card from the victim and replace it with a fake one. As the fake ATM card would not work, the victim would be tricked into thinking that there was something wrong with their card. Once the victim left with the fake card, the accused would use the real one to withdraw money from the machine,” said the inspector.

The accused told the police that they used to sell tea and snacks on the roadside before turning to crime to make quick money. During preliminary questioning, the accused revealed that they had duped people in Chandigarh, Yamunanagar, Ambala and Uttar Pradesh.

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