Haryana Police's ATM cell solves 110 untraced fraud cases

Chandigarh: Haryana Police's ATM Fraud Investigation Cell has successfully solved 110 ATM fraud cases which were earlier closed by the police as untraced, officials said on Monday.

The Cell, a specialised unit in the State Crime branch dedicated to combating ATM fraud, achieved a significant milestone in its relentless pursuit of financial frauds, they said.

Through tireless efforts and the expertise of its dedicated officers, the Cell has successfully solved 110 cases of ATM fraud during the past 10 months, which were earlier closed by district police as untraced, and has thus delivered a major blow to those involved in these illicit activities, an official statement said.

Over the last few months, the Cell has been actively engaged in identifying, investigating and bringing to justice those responsible for fraudulent activities targeting ATMs, it said.

The Cell's team collaborated closely with various financial institutions, visited ATM booths, analysed CCTV footage and mobile tower dumps to identify perpetrators and build strong cases against them, the statement said.

As a result of these efforts, the Cell has made significant progress, leading to the arrest of 81 individuals directly involved in various forms of ATM fraud, it said.

"These criminals employed tactics such as card cloning, skimming, and phishing to defraud ATM users. The apprehension of these fraudsters will serve as a strong deterrent to others contemplating engaging in similar illicit activities," said O P Singh, Additional DGP, Crime, Haryana.

The statement said during the course of investigations, the Cell recovered Rs 17 lakh from the fraudsters, and the money was returned to the rightful owners.