Two unidentified men have reportedly been accused of stealing Rs 2.52 lakh from an SBI ATM in Fort, Thiruvananthapuram, by manipulating the cash delivery system. The Fort police have registered a case under IPC Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) and are investigating the matter.
How robbers tricked SBI ATM machine
The fraud, which occurred between June 2022 and July 2023, involved the suspects using multiple stolen or lost ATM cards to withdraw money from the SBI ATM on Padmavilasam Road. They employed a clever technique: after withdrawing cash, they would leave a single note in the machine’s cash delivery compartment. This trickery led the ATM to register the transaction as incomplete and display a Timeout Error, preventing the amount from being deducted from the account holders’ balances.
This meant that no report was made of ATM fraud, as money was not deducted from any bank customer’s account. But there was a mismatch in the money deposited in the ATM machine and the amounts withdrawn from customers accounts.
How the ‘ATM scam’ was detected
The scam was detected when discrepancies were found between the total cash deposited in the ATM and the amounts withdrawn. A bank committee initially investigated the irregularities but couldn’t pinpoint the cause. Not being able to find any proof as well as lead, the committee even suspected bank staff.
However, a breakthrough came when the investigation team reviewed CCTV footage, identifying the suspects and their use of multiple stolen cards. They observed the suspects frequently visiting the machine and identified that they had used various stolen or lost ATM cards. Subsequently, SBI officials filed a report with the Fort police and gave VVTV captured photos of the suspects.
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