Bhopal: ATM Card Swapping Frauds Go On Unabated

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A deceitful ATM card swapping gang has been wreaking havoc across the city for the past two months. The frauds approach people at ATM kiosks and swaps their cards with a similar-looking card. They later siphon off money from the target’s bank accounts and leave them in limbo.

In the last two months, the city recorded as many as eight such incidents where the accused managed to siphon off Rs 2.5 lakh from the bank accounts of the victims.

Aishbag, Piplani, Shahpura and Bajaria police have been searching for the accused, but in vain. Even the crime branch officials have been apprised of the incidents, but they have not been able to fish out any clues. These incidents have blown the lid off the police’s claims of strict law-and-order upkeep in the city. Such incidents have even taken place when the model code of conduct (MCC) was in force. To add to the police’s inefficiency is the fact that some of the accused were even caught on camera committing the crime, but are still at large.

Meanwhile, senior crime branch officials said that it is after nine years that such incidents have gripped the city. Nine years ago, an engineering student was apprehended for committing such crimes.

The gang currently operational in the city targets elderly persons, ranging from 55 to 75 years, due to their low cognitive abilities and inability to deal with technical stuff. The latest of such incidents that made its way to the headlines was from Ashoka Garden, where the gang duped a 63-year-old man.

CCTV footages being examined carefully: DCP (Crime)

Deputy commissioner of police (Crime) Shrutkirti Somvanshi told Free Press that at present, the police are meticulously observing the footage of the CCTV cameras and it is expected that the accused will be identified and arrested soon.