PANAJI:
Automatic Teller Machines are emerging as a soft target for scamsters and frauds in Goa as nearly one theft a month was reported at ATMs in 2017. This year too, five incidents of ATM thefts were reported in the last 10 months and a total of 23 cases in three years.
The cops, meanwhile, have tasted success in nabbing the culprits in most cases and have recovered some of the cash stolen. Also, 30 persons were arrested in these cases.
The most recent incident occurred in Arambol on Tuesday where the culprits used explosives to blow up an ATM room and decamped with Rs 9 lakhs in cash. The ATM was attached to the Bank of India’s Arambol branch.
The police, it may be recalled had unearthed an international ring which used 'skimmers' to steal from ATMs. The Goa police had also announced in October a reward of Rs 1,000 for citizens who detect and report the presence of skimming gear in the cash dispensing machines.
Goa Police have so far registered 12 cases in the skimming racket and found the involvement of Romanian, Bulgarian and Hungarian nationals.
