Published 06:29 IST, November 17th 2019
Lucknow STF arrest 3 people over ATM Card cloning schemer in Uttar Pradesh
A gang involved in cloning ATM cards to illegally extract money from holder's account was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh special task force in Lucknow.
A gang involved in cloning ATM cards to illegally extract money from holder's account was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh special task force in Lucknow. The accused, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Jitendra Bahadur Singh and Rakesh Kumar Singh, all residents of Pratapgarh district were nabbed by the STF team and the team seized the 'cloning machine-schemer', ATM card reader, a laptop, and 29 ATM cum Debit cards along with Rs 3.53 lakhs from their possession.
The team also recovered a four-wheeler which was being used by the criminals. Furthermore, the criminals revealed that they used to target ATM booths were a security guard was not posted. They would then look for less-educated persons and ask them for help and would scan their cards using the 'schemer'. This was then used to prepare cloned cards that the criminals would use to extract money from the bank account of the people. They also accepted to having illegally extracted cash to the tune of lakhs of rupees using the scheme.
ATM skimming or cloning is theft of card information, where a small device, known as a skimmer, is used to steal the information during a legitimate ATM transaction. As the card is swiped at the machine, the skimmer device captures the information stored on the card's magnetic strip.
ATM card cloning in Delhi and Mumbai
The Delhi police on November 2 claimed to have busted an ATM card cloning racket active in Delhi and Mumbai with the arrest of three persons. Acting on a tip-off, the suspects were arrested near Sarai Kale Khan Bus Terminus on Friday. They were identified as Shrehansh Nitin Kothadia (38), Anubhav Nayak alias Babu (23) and Dilshad (33), Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Ram Gopal Naik said.
Sixty-seven cloned ATM cards, one skimming machine, two spy cameras, an MSR writer to write on the empty card and a laptop were recovered from their possession. A case WAS registered, Naik said. During interrogation, it was revealed that the gang operates all over India, the officer added.
(With Inputs from ANI)
Updated 09:04 IST, November 17th 2019