Bengaluru
An unusual incident in the city has revealed a clever tactic employed by thieves to withdraw money from an ATM without the transaction reflecting in the bank account. Bank officials were left astonished by the criminals’ strategy. The incident occurred at the Cooperative Bank ATA on Tumkur Main Road, T Dasarahalli. The matter came to light when the bank manager decided not to file a complaint with the police. The culprits meticulously followed the steps to withdraw money from the ATM and executed a real-time disconnection of the ATM machine’s wires. This cunning move allowed them to obtain cash from the ATM without the corresponding deduction from the bank account. The wires were disconnected precisely when the money began its transfer from the vault to the dispenser. The incident took place in the early hours of October 4, but the manager didn’t file a complaint until October 12. The entire incident was captured on the CCTV of the ATM kiosk, as the security guard had left to use the restroom during that time. The Bagalgunte police have since registered a case in this regard. This isn’t the first instance of such a tactic being employed. A similar method was used in February as well. Authorities suspect the involvement of a technical expert. The culprits conducted two similar transactions, withdrawing INR 19,000 on the previous occasion. They used debit cards from private multinational banks for these activities. Those who install or repair ATM machines often lack awareness of this technique, as it requires familiarity with machine programming. The precise timing of wire disconnection indicates that the culprits were well-acquainted with the process. The police are actively searching for the two individuals associated with this case.
