19 July,2026 06:52 PM IST | Mumbai | Asif Rizvi
Police recovered property worth approximately Rs 1.29 lakh. Pic/Mumbai Police
Mumbai Police have busted an ATM 'cash-trapping' scam in the Bhandup area and nabbed three people, including two women, officials said.
They said that the Bhandup Police have also arrested the alleged mastermind of scam, where customers were tricked into believing an ATM had malfunctioned after cash failed to dispense despite their bank accounts being debited.
According to the police, the scam came to light after several customers complained that they did not receive cash even though the withdrawal amount had been deducted from their accounts.
The investigation began after a 37-year-old branch manager at the Bank of Baroda in Bhandup, lodged a complaint with the police.
According to the complaint, the bank's ATM at Sachdev Complex received five separate complaints from customers reporting that cash had not been dispensed despite successful debit transactions.
Police registered a case under Sections 305 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against unidentified suspects.
Police examined CCTV footage from the ATM over two consecutive days and identified a clear pattern, said an official.
Investigators found that the suspects entered the ATM before customers and inserted a thin grey plastic strip into the cash dispenser slot. When customers attempted to withdraw money, the notes became trapped inside the machine, the official said.
Believing the ATM was faulty, the customers left the premises. The suspects then returned shortly afterwards and removed the trapped cash, he said.
The footage also showed that the main accused was assisted by the co-accused at different times.
The strip that was used in the scam. Pic/Mumbai Police
Following the CCTV analysis, Bhandup Police arrested the alleged mastermind, 21-year-old Mohammad Ziyad alias Ayan Irshad Ahmed.
Further investigation identified two female accomplices - 45-year-old Arifa Azeem Dukandar and 24-year-old Namira Azeem Dukandar. Both have been issued notices under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita as the investigation continues.
Police recovered property worth approximately Rs 1.29 lakh, including a motorcycle valued at Rs 80,000, a grey plastic strip allegedly used in the scam, a mobile phone worth Rs 10,000, cash amounting to Rs 39,500.
Police have advised the public to remain alert while using ATMs. They urged customers to immediately report any incident where money is deducted from their account but no cash is dispensed.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of senior Mumbai Police officers, with the investigation led by Senior Police Inspector Sapna Kshirsagar and Police Inspector Nitin Chavan, a senior police official said.
