The card-cloning scam, where over `16 lakh was fraudulently stolen with the help of a skimming device at an Axis Bank ATM centre in Colaba, is likely to get bigger in the coming days as many other people, who are not Axis Bank customers, have also lost money in a similar way.
Reliable bank sources have told this newspaper that the data of many other ATM cards was also stolen by skimming devices, fitted in various ATM centres located in south Mumbai.
A source attached with the south Mumbai branch of a bank on Monday said that many people, who are not Axis Bank customers, have also become victims of a similar fraud. They had used their cards at ATM centers across various banks in south Mumbai, and most of them were located in the Colaba area. Money was stolen from their accounts abroad as well. The source added that the fraudster had stolen the ATM data of these people by using skimmers.
According to the source, one of the victims is a journalist with a reputed Marathi daily, who lost `14,000. But none of these victims have approached the police so far. There is a strong possibility that the gang, which fraudulently obtained the ATM card data from the DGP office Axis Bank ATM booth, may be involved in stealing the card data at other ATM booths too.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the card-cloning scam revealed that a small hidden camera was also used to know what PIN numbers the card holders entered.
A police source confirmed the same and said that the camera was part of the additional unauthorised device that was fitted in the ATM machine.
Dr Ravindra Shishve, DCP Zone I, confirmed that the cheating was carried out through a skimming device, which also copied the PIN. He refused to divulge further details. “At this stage we cannot reveal details pertaining to the investigation, but I can say that we have some good leads,” he said.