A 74-year-old resident of Indore, Mahesh Verma, lost more than Rs 20,000 after two strangers allegedly swapped his ATM card at a kiosk in the Pardeshipura area. The incident occurred on May 17 when Verma visited an ATM near Rakhodi Dharamshala. According to police, Verma struggled with the machine as his card repeatedly got stuck. Two young men approached, offering assistance. While explaining how to insert the card, they allegedly replaced his card with another and observed his PIN.
Fraud Discovery and Withdrawals
The fraud came to light after the men left. Between 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm, SMS alerts notified Verma's family about withdrawals from his account. The accused made two withdrawals of Rs 10,000 each from the ITI Kankeshwari area and a third transaction of Rs 100 near Bapat Square. The family immediately contacted the bank and blocked the card, but the fraudsters had already withdrawn a total of Rs 20,100.
Police Investigation
Based on a written complaint by Verma, Pardeshipura police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation. Officers are examining CCTV footage from the ATM and nearby locations to identify the suspects. The elderly victim urges others to be cautious when accepting help from strangers at ATMs.
