KARACHI: Four Chinese nationals were arrested Sunday on suspicion of ATM skimming, the latest in a series of arrests linked to an organised gang behind a major electronic bank fraud in the city.



Police said three men were caught red-handed trying to install a skimming device on an ATM in the upscale Defence Housing Authority (DHA) locality early Sunday, only hours after a similar arrest from the Tipu Sultan Road area.



Superintendent of Police (SP) Clifton Asad Aijaz told reporters that a skimming device was seized from the arrested suspects, as well as Rs2.3million stolen from ATMs of different banks.

Two other suspects managed to flee, said the senior police official.

But, after receiving information from the arrested foreigners, police later recovered over 150 automated teller machine cards and took a fourth suspect into custody who is currently being investigated.

"These [suspects] are not just a few individuals...they are part of an organised gang," said SP Aijaz.



He said the arrested foreigners had legally entered Pakistan on business visas.



Earlier today, police arrested a Chinese national from Tipu Sultan Road for his alleged involvement in ATM skimming fraud.

An ATM skimming device and Rs0.65million were recovered from the suspect’s possession, the police said, adding that three accomplices of the suspect managed to escape.

On January 10, police had arrested two Chinese nationals for their alleged involvement in ATM skimming fraud.

It was learnt that the arrested foreigners were seen suspiciously doing the rounds of an ATM booth on Karachi's Abdullah Haroon Road for the past three days.

What is ATM skimming?

ATM skimming can be regarded as identity theft for debit cards. Fraudsters employ different techniques to record your PIN code for accessing the money in an account.

In some instances, the schemers stick a fake card-reader on the ATM, while in others they place a fake keypad on the machine to get your PIN code.

Another technique employed in this crime is the use of a hidden camera, which records your PIN code and conveys it to fraudsters.

Some ATM skimmers also change the entire display of the ATM.



