ATM fraud: Hackers loot huge amounts from two more

Two more incidents of bank fraud have been reported from the two districts triggering tension among the customers using the ATM facility.

Altogether Rs 1.5 lakh has been siphoned off from the SBI account of the two customers each from Murshidabad and South Dinajpur.

Both the victims have told the police that they received phone calls from some persons who introduced themselves as bank employees.

They told the customers that they needed the personal details relating to their account failing to which the ATM facilities would be blocked. Both the customers eventually shared their personal details with the callers and finally found that money had been withdrawn from their account.

Aswini Das, a retired teacher from Patiram in South Dinajpur lodged a complaint with the police saying that Rs 80,000 has been withdrawn from his two SBI accounts. The other victim is from Salar area in Murshidabad. Around Rs 67,000 has been siphoned off from his SBI account.

Seven such incidents of bank fraud have been reported in the state in last three days.

The repeated incidents of siphoning money in this fashion pose serious questions on the security of the customers.

The bank officials, however, appealed to the customers not to get panicked as all the accounts of the customers are safe. All the customers have been advised not to share their personal details with anybody.

Amidst the confusion that has been prevailing in connection with repeated bank fraud incidents, some miscreants on Saturday night tried to loot cash by breaking an ATM machine situated at the Indraprastha area of Berhampore.

The incident had triggered tension in the area. Some local people on Sunday morning spotted that the ATM machine was damaged and the surveillance camera installed on the ATM machine was covered with some clothes.

The accused wrapped the camera with a cloth to avoid an arrest.

Police said that miscreants failed to take any cash from the machine. A detailed probe has been initiated.