Four held for duping people in ATM kiosks in Noida

According to police, the suspects committed fraud at an ATM machine in Wajidpur Village in Noida on June 6, initiating an investigation by the police

The Gautam Budh Nagar police arrested four suspects on Saturday for allegedly duping people at ATM kiosks, police said.

The four suspects in custody. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

According to police, the suspects committed fraud at an ATM machine in Wajidpur Village in Noida on June 6, initiating an investigation by the police.

Deputy commissioner of police, Noida, Harish Chander, said that the suspects used an industrial adhesive inside the ATM card slots to trap debit cards once inserted. Additionally, they placed pamphlets with their own phone numbers as “helpline numbers” to mislead ATM users.

“On June 6, the suspects fraudulently withdrew ₹2,000 from an ATM user’s account using his debit card. The victim’s card got stuck inside the ATM, prompting a bank official to assist him. However, they were unable to retrieve the card. When the victim called the helpline number, they were instructed to return after three to four hours to retrieve the debit card. Subsequently, the victim discovered that the amount had been withdrawn from their account. A complaint was filed at the Expressway Police station, and an FIR was registered for cheating and theft,” said the DCP.

According to police, the suspects were arrested on Saturday morning at Panchsheel Underpass in Noida through a collaborative effort between the local police station team and the zonal surveillance team.

“The arrests were made based on CCTV footage from the ATM kiosk and other technical details. Interrogations revealed that this is an organized gang that has been active since last year. They target unguarded ATM kiosks in isolated areas. Initially, they apply glue to the debit card slot and affix a fake helpline number. Then, they conceal themselves in the vicinity, waiting for an ATM user to arrive,” DCP said.

When a customer’s card got stuck in the machine, a gang member posed as a bank official with a fake ID card and approached the kiosk, instructing the customer to attempt again, said, Shakti Avasthy, additional deputy commissioner of police.

“During the second attempt, the gang member would note the debit card’s pin number. They would then ask the customer to call the fake helpline number, which another gang member would answer. The customer would be instructed to return after three to four hours to resolve the issue. Once the customer left, the gang would use the debit card at another ATM to withdraw cash,” said the ADCP.

According to Avasthy, the police have discovered three other similar fraud cases committed by the gang in Noida. “There are eight additional cases registered at Gautam Budh Nagar police stations with the same modus operandi, and the suspects are wanted. In each case, the gang defrauded amounts ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹15,000,” he said.

The suspects have been identified as Prashant Tomar, Aditya Shakya, Pawan, and Gaurav Yadav, all residents of Noida. Officials recovered fake bank ID cards, illegal weapons, industrial adhesive, and counterfeit helpline number slips from the suspects’ possession. They were produced before a magistrate and subsequently sent to judicial custody, police said.