Scam Under Guise of Help: Fake ATM Card Used to Loot Rs. 26,900 from Elderly Man’s Account; Police Evades Victim’s Complaint
Incident at ATM Counter
In Rengali Camp, a man visiting an ATM to withdraw money was tricked by a fraudster. Pretending to assist the victim, the fraudster swapped his original ATM card with a fake one. This led to a loss of Rs. 26,900 from the victim’s account.
How the Fraud Unfolded
On November 19, Mukunda Sahu from Nileipali village went to the SBI ATM at Godbhaga under Atabira police jurisdiction on the Bargarh-Sambalpur highway to withdraw money. While withdrawing Rs. 1,000, an unknown individual offered to “help” him. After withdrawing the amount, the fraudster handed Mukunda a fake card, claiming it was his own, and walked away with the real card.
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Discovery of Fraudulent Transactions
Later, Mukunda updated his passbook and found that Rs. 26,900 was withdrawn in two transactions—Rs. 26,000 from Baijamunda ATM and Rs. 900 from Sambalpur ATM. Shocked, he reported the matter to the bank and the Godbhaga police outpost.
Lack of Action by Police
The police initially told Mukunda to take up the matter with the bank. Dissatisfied with the response, Mukunda approached Atabira police station. However, no action has been taken so far, leading to his frustration.
Evidence and Investigation
Interestingly, CCTV footage from the ATM revealed the fraudster fleeing in a car after withdrawing money using the victim’s original card. This evidence might help identify the culprit, but no updates have been provided by the authorities yet.
Mukunda continues to wait for action and resolution in this case.
