Retired railway officer duped of Rs 81,500 in ATM card swap fraud

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A 73-year-old retired Indian Railways official was duped of Rs 81,500 after an unidentified man allegedly swapped his ATM card with a dummy one at an ATM kiosk in Shahnoorwadi on May 12, the police said.The victim, a retired railway superintendent residing in Husain Nagar, had visited the ATM around 6.10pm to withdraw cash when the incident took place. According to the Jawahar Nagar police, the suspect entered the kiosk while the victim was using the machine."The suspect observed the PIN being entered and then swapped the victim's ATM card with a dummy card by keeping him engaged in conversation. The victim left without realising that his original card had been taken," the police said.The fraud came to light after the victim received multiple SMS alerts showing withdrawals totalling Rs 81,500 from his bank account. Police said the accused used the stolen card for transactions at fuel outlets and other locations."On checking later, the victim realised the card in his possession was fake and that his original card had been stolen," an officer said.Following a complaint, the Jawahar Nagar police registered a case under BNS section 318(4) (cheating) and launched a probe to trace the accused.