Man breaks into ATM, grabs a handful of cheques, and encashes one from the same bank
Man breaks into ATM, grabs a handful of cheques, and encashes one from the same bank
In what can be called an audacious move, a man stole cheques from the drop box of a busy ATM, and encashed one of cheques in the same bank two days later.
Although the ATM centre is equipped with a CCTV and has a security guard, the bank failed to verify the footage two days later.
But the damage was done by then. K S Anil Kumar, branch manager, HDFC Infantry Road, said that his staff informed him on June 16 about the CCTV recording.
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| Although the ATM centre is equipped with a CCTV and has a security guard, the bank failed to verify the footage even two days later. |
According to him, on June 13, an unidentified man entered the ATM at around 12.25 pm and checked his balance using a SBI card.
"He came back an hour later, forced open the cheque drop box plank and stole the cheques.
The security guard was nowhere in sight, and returned after the thief was gone," Kumar said in his complaint that he filed with the Commercial Street police station.
Kumar initiated an enquiry and found that some of the stolen cheques had been encashed the next day.
Giving details about the fraud, Kumar said that cheque numbered 050510 and 050455 issued by Altaf Ahmed Chachia to Supreme Enterprises were worth Rs 1.87 lakh and Rs 8,000, and had been fabricated and encashed in the name of Vijaya Lakshmi and Padma M G.
Both cheques were presented at the Chandra Layout branch of the Karnataka Bank on June 14 through Bangalore Bankers Association.
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The forgery was so perfect that the bank staff did not notice, and made a payment on June 15. The amount had already been withdrawn.
"We don't know how many cheques were stolen, so details of the loss are not clear," Kumar said. "The culprit was not only involved in theft but also involved in forgery and misappropriation," Kumar told the police.
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The Commercial Street police said that they have sought the details of the SBI card, which he operated in the ATM to track him.
"We have sought details of Vijayalakshmi, Padma and Manjappa from the bank," a police officer said. SBI Bank officials were unavailable for comment.
