In a series of disturbing incidents across Kolkata on Thursday, three individuals fell victim to cunning fraudsters, collectively losing a sum of ₹1.5 lakh. The crimes, which involved ATM card swapping and direct theft, highlight a recurring modus operandi that has been troubling the city and its suburbs.
Details of the Three Separate Incidents
The first complaint was registered at Burtolla Police Station by Mitali Ghosh (42), a resident of Gorapada Sarkar Lane. She reported that ₹35,740 was withdrawn from her account between 2 pm and 3 pm. The incident occurred at an ATM kiosk in Gouribari, where a youth, unsolicited, offered her help. While engaging her in conversation and urging her to complete the transaction quickly, he likely swapped her ATM card. The victim believes the exchange happened during this distracting interaction.
In the second case, Sulekha Dey (34) of New Tangra Road filed a complaint at Tangra Police Station. She alleged that an unknown person stole a whopping ₹95,000 by swapping her ATM card with another one. This theft took place between 6:30 pm and 7 pm at an ATM kiosk opposite Seal Lane Maath in Tangra. Similar to the first case, she was distracted by a youth while conducting her transaction.
Elderly Man Targeted After Bank Withdrawal
The third victim was a 79-year-old man, Sk Ulfat, from Mayurbhanj Road. His case did not involve an ATM but a direct theft. Ulfat had just withdrawn ₹30,000 from a bank branch. Between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm, near Diamond Harbour Road in Ekbalpore, a stranger approached him. The man offered to help Ulfat properly place his water bottle into his bag. Police believe the accused used that precise moment of distraction to pick the cash from the bag before walking away calmly. Ekbalpore Police Station is investigating this complaint.
Police Investigation and a Disturbing Pattern
Local police are examining CCTV footage from the areas surrounding the ATMs and the bank, and are tracing the transaction trails linked to the illegal withdrawals. Investigators have noted that these three complaints match a pattern observed in earlier cases reported from areas like Survey Park and Mukundapur since last year.
Authorities suspect that these crimes are the work of organised groups that specifically target unguarded ATM kiosks. They often focus on older machines where cards do not get automatically locked inside the slot, making swapping easier. In many previous instances, fraudsters are believed to have first tampered with the card reader, causing it to retain the card. They then pose as helpful bystanders to win the victim's trust, obtain their PIN under the guise of assistance, and subsequently make unauthorized withdrawals.
The key takeaways for the public are:
- Politely but firmly refuse any unsolicited help at ATMs or banks.
- Never share your PIN with anyone, under any circumstances.
- Be extra vigilant if your card does not get swallowed by the machine, as this could be a sign of tampering.
- Immediately block your card and inform the bank and police if you suspect foul play.
The police have urged citizens, especially senior citizens, to remain extremely cautious while handling cash or conducting transactions in public spaces.
