The Pendurthi police arrested a person on the charge of committing offences using ATM card here on Wednesday.
The accused was identified as Moolaparthi Arjun Rao, a resident of K. Kothapadu.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) S. Varada Raju said that the modus operandi was unique.
The accused would wait for gullible customers such as old men or women, or those who were not adept at handling the machine at ATM counters. On the pretext of helping them, he would mentally note down the PIN of the ATM card.
“He then waits for the statement slip. If the balance is less, he would return the card and slip to the owner. If the balance is sizeable, he would swap the card with another one he conceals under his palm.
Once the customer leaves the counter, he uses the original card to draw the money,” Mr. Varada Raju told the media.
Four cases
The accused was involved in four such offences in the Pendurthi area and one in Kancharapalem area. In all, he withdrew an amount of Rs. 1,06,000. The police recovered Rs. 90,000 from him, said Pendurthi SHO S. Adam.
The police, after receiving a complaint from one of the victims, kept a watch at ATMs and nabbed him.