Four Arrested for ATM Card Cloning in Uttar Pradesh

Police Crackdown on ATM Card Cloning Gang

Authorities have apprehended four individuals involved in the cloning of ATM cards. These suspects are accused of defrauding people using cloned cards. All four hail from Haryana and were arrested in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. According to police reports, the arrested individuals learned the techniques for cloning credit and debit cards through YouTube tutorials, which they subsequently used to commit fraud. The police seized a vehicle, 14 debit cards, a credit card swiping machine, three mobile phones, and firearms from the suspects. ASP Ajay Pratap Singh stated that the suspects were caught near a Punjab National Bank in Chaudhpur. The accused are identified as Sanjeev Kumar, Mahendra, Amarjeet, and Ramesh, all residents of the Nardoh area in Hisar district. In addition to the cards and swiping machine, three firearms and seven cartridges were also recovered from their vehicle.

Modus Operandi of the Fraudsters

According to police, Sanjeev learned how to clone ATM cards via YouTube. Following this, he purchased an MSR-6 swiping machine online from Ahmedabad. The group would withdraw money using cloned ATM cards around midnight to avoid detection, ensuring that the original cardholders would not receive transaction alerts or block their cards.

To facilitate their thefts, they downloaded the ESY MSI app on their mobile phones. By watching instructional videos on YouTube, they connected the swiping machine to their phones via Bluetooth. They would then engage their victims in conversation to distract them while swiping their cards through the machine.

The suspects targeted individuals in remote areas away from police stations. They utilized rented vehicles for their operations and even changed the vehicle's registration number after committing the crimes. Their victims primarily included residents from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Bihar.