SRINAGAR: Police in Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Monday busted an ATM fraud racket with the arrest of a man accused of targeting people, particularly elderly persons, at ATM booths by deceptively swapping their bank cards and withdrawing money from their accounts.
The accused, identified as Irfan Mushtaq Gasi, son of Mushtaq Ahmad Gasi, a resident of Kraltang, Sopore, was arrested by a police team at Sopore Bus Stand on Monday. Seven ATM cards belonging to different banks and cash amounting to Rs 30,000 were recovered from his possession, police said.
According to police, multiple complaints regarding ATM fraud had been received at Police Post Bus Stand. Acting on the complaints, FIR No. 280/2026 under Sections 318(4) and 303 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at Police Station Sopore and an investigation was initiated.
During the investigation, a police team apprehended the accused at Bus Stand Sopore under suspicious circumstances. Police said he attempted to flee after noticing the team but was tactfully apprehended.
During questioning, the accused allegedly disclosed that he would approach people visiting ATM booths to withdraw cash and offer assistance. On the pretext of helping them, he would obtain their ATM cards and PINs, secretly replace their original cards with other cards and return the substituted cards to them.
He would subsequently use the victims’ original ATM cards to withdraw money from their bank accounts, police said.
The accused has been arrested in connection with the case, while further investigation is underway.
Sopore Police have advised the public, particularly people withdrawing cash from ATMs, not to share their PINs with anyone and to immediately inform the police about any suspicious activity at ATM booths.
