Delhi court judge falls victim to ‘card cloning’, loses ₹35,000: Police

The fraud comes just days after RM Lodha, the former Chief Justice of India, reported losing ₹1 lakh to an online fraud.

The metropolitan magistrate of a Delhi court became the latest victim of an ATM card fraud in the city when he had ₹35,000 withdrawn from his account in four instalments between Sunday and the early hours of Monday.

In his complaint to the police, the magistrate quoted the bank executive as telling him that his card had been ‘hacked’. But the DCP said since more number of victims have emerged, it appears to be a case of card cloning. (HT Photo)

According to Meghna Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara), the money from the magistrate’s account he was withdrawn from a particular ATM in CGO complex. Yadav added that the magistrate was not the only victim of the fraud that is suspected to be a result of “card cloning”.

“We have received more complaints about money being withdrawn from accounts from the same ATM. Some complaints have come in through emails and others through written complaints. We have got the ATM shut down for now, but are yet to make a breakthrough in the case,” said the DCP, adding that the number of victims as well as the total amount of money that was swindled is yet to be determined.

The fraud comes just days after RM Lodha, the former Chief Justice of India, reported losing ₹1 lakh to an online fraud.

He called his bank’s customer care to be informed that another ₹25,000 had been withdrawn in four instalments from his account a day earlier.

In his complaint to the police, the magistrate quoted the bank executive as telling him that his card had been ‘hacked’. But the DCP said since more number of victims have emerged, it appears to be a case of card cloning.

One of the frequent methods of card cloning often reported in Delhi is installation of a small device in an ATM to copy the details of cards inserted into it and then reading the PIN by fixing a pinhole camera in the same ATM.