Two held for defrauding bank of ₹ 24.40 lakh during pandemic

The manager had complained in 2021 that a bank account’s balance showed ₹15,000 but it had been used for a transaction of ₹24.40 lakh

Noida: The cybercrime police station on Friday arrested two suspects who allegedly defrauded a government bank of ₹24.40 lakh by tampering with its ATM in Noida’s Bhangel branch during COVID pandemic, officers said.

By activating internet banking and ATM and cardless cash withdrawal facilities on them, they would withdraw cash from the ATM. However, once the ATM cash tray opened, the suspects used a tweezer to hold the middle notes of the cash bundle, leaving the top and bottom notes. (HT Photo)

During interrogation, it was found that the scammers had used the bank’s cardless withdrawal scheme, introduced during the COVID pandemic for customers’ help, and defrauded the bank of ₹24.40 lakh by tampering the ATM machine.

According to assistant commissioner of police (ACP), cybercrime, Vivek Ranjan Rai, a first information report (FIR) had been registered in the matter on September 9, 2021 on a complaint lodged by the manager of Punjab National Bank, Bhangel branch, Noida.

“The manager had complained at the Phase-2 police station that a bank account opened at the Bhangel branch has been used to defraud the bank of ₹24.40 lakh. The complaint said the concerned bank account balance showed ₹15,000 but it had been used for a transaction of ₹24.40 lakh.

The FIR was registered under charges of cheating of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act. It was first registered at the Phase-2 police station following which investigation in the matter was taken up by cybercrime police station, said the officer.

“On the basis of technical and documentary evidence, the names of two suspects identified as Abhishek Pratap Singh (36), a resident of Farrukhabad, and Yogesh Chauhan (40), a resident of Etah, came to light. They were arrested from Sector 58 park, Noida on Friday by the cybercrime police,” the ACP added.

The officer explained that in June 2020, suspects Singh and Chauhan opened a bank account at Bhangel branch using a fake Aadhaar and PAN card. They deposited ₹15,000.

“By activating internet banking and ATM and cardless cash withdrawal facilities on them, they would withdraw cash from the ATM. However, once the ATM cash tray opened, the suspects used a tweezer to hold the middle notes of the cash bundle, leaving the top and bottom notes,” the ACP said.

After some time, the machine would pull back the top and bottom notes. The notes with the tweezers were taken out by the accused. During this process, the ATM machine would register the transaction as ‘cancelled’, and the bank balance remained the same, whereas the accused had withdrawn the cash fraudulently, he informed.

For three months, using the same methodology, the duo allegedly defrauded the bank of ₹24.40 lakh.

“The two were produced before the local court and sent to judicial custody on Friday,” said the officer.