Elderly man loses Rs 20,100 in ATM card swap scam in Indore

Indore: A brief moment of trust at an ATM kiosk cost a 74-year-old Indore resident more than Rs 20,000. What appeared to be a helping hand from two strangers turned out to be a well-rehearsed ATM card swap, leaving the elderly man unaware that his card was replaced until money began disappearing from his account.

The incident was reported from Pardeshipura area, where Mahesh Verma visited an ATM near Rakhodi Dharamshala on May 17. According to police, Verma was struggling to use the machine as his card repeatedly got stuck. That’s when two young men, seemingly eager to play the role of Samaritans, stepped in and offered assistance.

While explaining how to insert the card, the duo allegedly pulled off a classic ATM swap trick. Investigators believe they managed to replace Verma’s card with another one and also observed his PIN during the interaction.

The fraud came to light only after the men left. Between 6.30 pm and 7 pm, SMS alerts started arriving one after another, informing the family that money was being withdrawn from the account. Police said the accused made two withdrawals of Rs 10,000 each from the ITI Kankeshwari area and carried out another transaction of Rs 100 near Bapat Square.

The family immediately contacted the bank and got the card blocked, but not before the fraudsters had withdrawn a total of Rs 20,100.

Based on a written complaint filed by the elderly victim, Pardeshipura police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation. Officers are examining CCTV footage from the ATM and nearby locations to identify the suspects.