VIZIANAGARAM: The CCS police on Saturday arrested a person who had cheated several people, particularly the elderly and the illiterate, by telling them that he would extend help in withdrawing money from ATMs.Speaking to newsmen here, SP AR Damdorar said that the CCS police, led by CI D Laxmana Rao, on Friday evening nabbed the accused at the SBI main branch ATM in Vizianagaram.
The police also seized about Rs 39,000 from the accused. The SP said that Chalumuri Venkata Bhaskara Rao, a resident of Kannam village of Dattirajeru mandal, started targeting elderly people and the illiterates coming to the ATM for withdrawing money. Telling them that he would help them to withdraw money from ATMs, the accused used to replace original ATM cards with the duplicates. By knowing the PIN number, he then rushed to the nearby ATMs to withdraw the money by using the original ATM cards. During the preliminary investigation, police came to know that he had committed about 14 such ATM thefts in Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts. The SP also said that they had recovered as much as Rs 4.55 lakh from the accused after the preliminary investigation.
He called upon the people not to share the PIN of ATM cards with any strangers. On receiving the complaints frequently about the theft of ATM cards, CCS police had kept strict watch at ATMs, the SP said.
CCS DSP J Papa Rao, CIs Laxmana Rao and P Sobhan Babu, SI Sanyasi Rao, Salur CI Srinivasa Rao and other police officials were present. Similar cases are being reported frequently in Srikakulam district too. Almost two weeks ago, two persons were cheated at an ATM in Sompeta in Srikakulam district.