Police suspect two Ugandans may have stolen as much as ₹25 lakh over 6 months

A team of two police constables on night patrol nabbed two foreigners in the act of trying to fix a card reader and a micro-camera in an ATM in Hegde Nagar. Their aim was to skim data from debit/credit cards that customers would insert into the ATM, and use the information to carry out online transactions illegally and make counterfeit cards that can be swiped at retail outlets, said the police.

The accused, Babalanda Amunon, 25, and Ongido Ambrose, 22, are from Uganda. They were arrested last Tuesday.

“After questioning them, we have learned that they are part of a larger skimming racket that this thriving in the city. The racket has become a headache for the cyber crime cell,” said the police.

“Their gang is headed by a woman, who is on the run,” the police added.

A team raided the house they were operating from in S.R.K. Nagar in Kothanur. They recovered two laptops, two card readers, four skimmers, two micro cameras, nine mobile phones, ₹60,000 and 160 blank ATM cards.

Investigations revealed that they purchased the equipment and blank cards online. They carried out a recce to identify ATMs that do not have CCTV cameras or security guards.

They rely on a skimmer and a camera to access a user’s bank data and other information, and then make counterfeit cards that have in the past been used not just in Karnataka, but also in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The devices are installed in the first week of every month when withdrawals are higher, and are usually dismantled after three days.

Came on student visas

According to the police, the duo have been living in Bengaluru illegally for three years. They arrived in the city on student visas.

Babalanda dropped out of the B.Pharma course he was enrolled in while Ambrose discontinued his BCA course to join the gang six months ago. In that time, they allegedly withdrew ₹25 lakh from various ATMs across the city and in neighbouring States .

“With their arrest, we have cracked around 20 cases,” said a police officer.

"We have taken the accused into custody. Efforts are on to nab the woman who is heading their gang,” said DCP (north east) Kala Krishnamurthy.

How it works

A skimmer is placed on the ATM’s card slot. When a card is inserted into the machine, the skimmer scans and stores all the information on the magnetic strip

Battery-operated micro cameras are installed above the keypad to record the PIN number

Data from both devices are transferred onto a blank card

Modus operandi

* Accused identify ATMs that do not have CCTV cameras and security guards

* Install devices in the first week of every month

* Remove devices after a few days

* Transfer stolen data to blank cards

* Use cards to withdraw cash from ATMs

Warning to banks

The police, in the past, had issued guidelines to banks instructing them to install CCTV cameras and post security guards.

Senior police officials have proposed that anti-skimming devices be installed in ATMs.

"We have also proposed that bank officials provide a one-time password for every withdrawal in an ATM,” said a senior cyber crime officer.