In two recent incidents at the ATMs of nationalised banks, one at Duler in Mapusa and the other at Dhargal, unidentified persons had applied a sticky substance in the card’s slot. The inserted cards got stuck and could not be removed. The fraudsters somehow managed to capture the PIN using hidden devices and also instructed the customers, using a concealed mobile or a voice recorder, to exit the ATM kiosk and return later to retrieve their cards. Once the customers left, the fraudsters removed the cards and withdrew cash from their accounts. The incidents reveal that the ATM kiosks did not have guards, as mandated by the Supreme Court. And that either CCTV cameras were not installed or not working or not monitored in real-time from a control room. The fraudsters seem to have successfully exploited these lacunae that prevailed in the ATM kiosks. In the absence of safety measures, one needs to be wary while withdrawing money from an ATM and keep our fingers crossed that we are not defrauded.
SRIDHAR D'IYER, Caranzalem
