ATM in Chandigarh’s Sector 40 hacked into, ₹1.5 lakh siphoned off

Though the alleged fraudulent transactions took place three years ago, the matter came to the fore only recently during the bank’s internal audit

In a first-of-its-kind case, unidentified persons hacked into a Canara bank ATM and siphoned off ₹1.5 lakh, through three fraudulent transactions in 2020.

While the crime was committed three years ago, the case has been registered now as the bank detected the loss only recently during an internal audit. (HT File)

While the crime was committed three years ago, the case has been registered now as the bank detected the loss only recently during an internal audit.

The branch manager, in his police complaint, stated that the said ATM, of Diebold make, is installed just adjoining its branch office in Sector 40.

Through closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage, it was established that the fraudulent transactions had been committed on October 3, 4 and 7, 2020.

Footage of these dates showed unidentified persons entering the ATM kiosk and indulging in suspicious behaviour. The miscreants were purportedly seen inserting debit cards of HDFC bank and RBL bank in the machine and opening and tampering with the machine before leaving with the dispensed cash.

“The accused hacked into the machine and used forged ATM cards to withdraw ₹1.5 lakh but the said amount had not been debited from any account,” the complaint read.

A case under Sections 378 (theft), 420 (cheating), 463 (forgery), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66 of the IT Act has been registered on the complaint of manager, Canara Bank, Sector 40-C, Chandigarh, against unidentified persons at the Sector 39 police station.