Delhi ATM fraud busted: Duo held for jamming card slots with glue sticks

Two men arrested for duping 50+ people using fake bank flyers and glued ATMs; gang traced to Neb Sarai after weeks of surveillance, police recover stolen cards.

Delhi Police on Monday arrested two men accused of running a racket that targeted over a dozen ATM booths in the city by jamming card slots with glue sticks and stealing money from unsuspecting users. The accused, identified as Raushan Kumar (23) and Pintu Kumar (32), allegedly cheated more than 50 people using the same method.

The racket came to light on September 27 when a Paschim Vihar resident reported losing ₹35,000 after his card got stuck in an ATM (Reuters)

According to the police, the duo would insert glue sticks into the ATM’s card slot, causing cards to get stuck. They had also pasted fake customer care flyers inside booths, directing victims to call a number controlled by their associates. One gang member, posing as a bank representative, would then ask for the victim’s PIN and assure them their card would be returned shortly.

As soon as the victim left, the accused would extract the card using a scraper and withdraw money using the PIN. Police said the operation went undetected for months as the gang swiftly moved locations after one or two thefts, removing their fake flyers and cleaning up traces of glue.

The racket came to light on September 27 when a Paschim Vihar resident reported losing ₹35,000 after his card got stuck in an ATM. “We already had reports of nine similar incidents in nearby areas,” said a senior officer. “A probe revealed that multiple people had been duped using the same method involving glue and fake flyers.”

DCP (Crime) Aditya Gautam said, “We discovered that over 50 thefts across Delhi were linked to this gang. They used a well-coordinated method – one member would to persuade the victim to call on the number while another gang member would receive the call.”

CCTV footage from several ATM booths helped investigators identify the suspects, one of whom already had a criminal record. Their movements were traced to Neb Sarai, where they were arrested after weeks of surveillance. Police recovered three stolen ATM cards from the accused.