Aurangabad: The cybercrime branch of the Aurangabad city police has nabbed four men accused of withdrawing cash from ATM units without even the bank servers sensing or detecting the withdrawals.
Cyber police were shocked to see the innovative device capable of temporarily making an ATM’s sensors defunct. The probe has revealed that the device was designed and created by these accused, who had not even completed HSC.
The four accused have been identified as Surajsingh alias Bambam (27), Pikukumar Singh (22), Abhishek Singhvi (29) and Prakash Kumar Singh (28), all of them from the Nawada district of Bihar. They have been arrested and the local court has remanded them in five-day police custody.
They had come to Aurangabad on July 9 with the intention to steal money using their device, but the complete lockdown that started on July 10 scuttled their initial plans. They could put their plan to action only on July 19.
However, on July 21, the cyber police learnt about the movement of this gang and started tracking them, before nabbing them on Saturday. A total of 18 debit cards, virtual accounts, high-end laptop, eight mobile phones, 11 SIM cards, a skimming device and an innovative device, have been seized from the accused.
Aurangabad commissioner of police Chiranjeev Prasad said, “This probably the most advanced technique of siphoning money from the ATM. Initial probe has revealed that the accused had committed similar crimes at 13 places in different states before coming to Aurangabad.”
Cybercrime inspector Geeta Bagwade said a team comprising PSI Rahul Chavan and constables Mansur Shah and Sushant Shelke first received the tip-off about the movement of the accused in the city.
The team soon started monitoring their activities. She said the accused, during the preliminary questioning, have revealed that using the skimmer, they would use debit cards and withdraw just Rs 500 from the targeted ATM. However, as soon as the slot for delivering the currency notes opened, they would insert the innovative device there, making the sensors defunct.
“Taking advantage of the defunct sensors, the accused could put in their hand and take as much money they could without even the bank realizing it,” said inspector Bagwade.