In digital-arrest season, return of old card fraud rattles cops
Times of India | 17 February 2025
Kolkata: In an era of digital arrests and Jamtara cyber-frauds, the possible return of the old "Gaya gang" who disabled ATMs have left investigators flummoxed.
The Gaya gangs, which were a scourge in Kolkata a decade ago, used adhesive to ensure that ATM cards remained stuck. Now, investigators suspect, they have graduated to using magnetic strips and altering the helpline numbers written on the ATM machine. A victim may end up making a vishing (voice phishing) call after the ATM card gets stuck, inadvertently giving out details to enable online transactions.
The twin frauds reported from an SBI ATM at Kishori Bharati Stadium were not an act of skimming, said sleuths from the anti-bank fraud section of the detective department. Rather, cops believe they bore resemblance the Gaya gangs' modus operandi.
"The Gaya Gang members used to put some adhesive at the card slot from and also from where the currency notes are dispensed. Now, they are using a magnetic strip to block the card from coming out. Once the customer leaves without the card, the accused returns and retrieves the money. They are now using vishing methods too, by putting up fake helpline numbers and then getting the worried customer to blurt out the PIN to get the card unstuck. Once that is done, it becomes easier to defraud a larger amount," an officer said.
Sometimes, the gangs indulge in shoulder surfing where an accused notes the PIN as the customer struggles with the card stuck in the machine.
According to sources, the police got a hazy CCTV footage of the accused leaving the ATM. "Recently, the Asansol-Durgapur Commissionerate arrested two men using such a modus operandi. A few cases with a similar MO were reported in Bihar. We are using those leads to solve this case," said a cop, adding that help from vigilance units of banks has been sought to trace the accused.
The police also explained why it is not possible that skimming was involved in this case but rather a primitive method was adopted. "All ATM cards come with chips that make skimming difficult. In addition, the upper limit of ATM withdrawal without a PIN is Rs 10,000. In both cases here, the amounts lost were far higher. Also, almost all ATMs in Kolkata are EMV-enabled, making skimming impossible," said an officer.
Cops are speaking to the two victims to know if both came across similar suspicious people outside the ATM. They are also studying the victims' responses when they contacted the fake helpline number. One of them, Arup Jyoti Pradhan, was asked to share the PIN, and then cancel the transaction. He did as instructed. "When I reached home, I began receiving multiple SMS alerts of money being deducted from my account — each for Rs 10,000," he told cops.
Another victim, Balai Sardar, reported that he visited the ATM at 8.30 pm on Friday. His card was trapped inside the machine, and he contacted the customer service number displayed at the booth. The representative instructed him on steps to retrieve his card, which he followed. Later, he discovered text notifications indicating three separate withdrawals — totalling Rs 25,000 — from his account. "In both cases, it was a combination of age-old ATM machine tricks and vishing," an officer said.
Kolkata: In an era of digital arrests and Jamtara cyber-frauds, the possible return of the old "Gaya gang" who disabled ATMs have left investigators flummoxed.
The Gaya gangs, which were a scourge in Kolkata a decade ago, used adhesive to ensure that ATM cards remained stuck. Now, investigators suspect, they have graduated to using magnetic strips and altering the helpline numbers written on the ATM machine. A victim may end up making a vishing (voice phishing) call after the ATM card gets stuck, inadvertently giving out details to enable online transactions.
The twin frauds reported from an SBI ATM at Kishori Bharati Stadium were not an act of skimming, said sleuths from the anti-bank fraud section of the detective department. Rather, cops believe they bore resemblance the Gaya gangs' modus operandi.
"The Gaya Gang members used to put some adhesive at the card slot from and also from where the currency notes are dispensed. Now, they are using a magnetic strip to block the card from coming out. Once the customer leaves without the card, the accused returns and retrieves the money. They are now using vishing methods too, by putting up fake helpline numbers and then getting the worried customer to blurt out the PIN to get the card unstuck. Once that is done, it becomes easier to defraud a larger amount," an officer said.
Sometimes, the gangs indulge in shoulder surfing where an accused notes the PIN as the customer struggles with the card stuck in the machine.
According to sources, the police got a hazy CCTV footage of the accused leaving the ATM. "Recently, the Asansol-Durgapur Commissionerate arrested two men using such a modus operandi. A few cases with a similar MO were reported in Bihar. We are using those leads to solve this case," said a cop, adding that help from vigilance units of banks has been sought to trace the accused.
The police also explained why it is not possible that skimming was involved in this case but rather a primitive method was adopted. "All ATM cards come with chips that make skimming difficult. In addition, the upper limit of ATM withdrawal without a PIN is Rs 10,000. In both cases here, the amounts lost were far higher. Also, almost all ATMs in Kolkata are EMV-enabled, making skimming impossible," said an officer.
Cops are speaking to the two victims to know if both came across similar suspicious people outside the ATM. They are also studying the victims' responses when they contacted the fake helpline number. One of them, Arup Jyoti Pradhan, was asked to share the PIN, and then cancel the transaction. He did as instructed. "When I reached home, I began receiving multiple SMS alerts of money being deducted from my account — each for Rs 10,000," he told cops.
Another victim, Balai Sardar, reported that he visited the ATM at 8.30 pm on Friday. His card was trapped inside the machine, and he contacted the customer service number displayed at the booth. The representative instructed him on steps to retrieve his card, which he followed. Later, he discovered text notifications indicating three separate withdrawals — totalling Rs 25,000 — from his account. "In both cases, it was a combination of age-old ATM machine tricks and vishing," an officer said.