IDUKKI: A native of Tamil Nadu has been arrested by the police for fraud by taking the ATM card and pin number on the pretext of helping those who do not know how to withdraw money from the ATM counter. The police arrested Thambiraj (46), a native of JK Petty, Tamil Nadu. The accused reaches areas where theft is intended to be carried out early and will insert paper to the ATM machines to make them functionless. Customers who are unable to withdraw money from these counters will depend on other ATM counters.

The ATM card will be collected from the customers who come in this way. Then another card of the same bank kept in his hand is inserted into the machine without the customer seeing it. Then he will ask the card holder to enter the pin number. The machine shows incorrect PIN message. The customer returns after buying the card. After that, the accused withdraws money by using the customer's ATM card and pin number. Only then will the account holder know about the fraud.

The accused was caught in an investigation conducted on a complaint filed by Sreejith S Nair, a resident of Kattappana. On the 2nd of this month, Sreejith was tricked by Thambiraj when he tried to withdraw money from the SBI ATM at Kattapana Edassery Junction. He then filed a complaint in the bank and Kattappana police station.

On the instructions of Idukki District Police Chief VA Kuryakose, an investigation was started under Kattappana DySP VA Nishad Mon. The CCTV footage of the area was examined and details of those involved in similar crimes were ascertained.

Following this, the police started an investigation focusing on Thambiraj, who had similarly committed ATM thefts in the states of Andhra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. He was released from jail a month ago. Thambiraj was arrested under the leadership of DySP after getting a tip-off that he has come to his house in Bodi.

The accused was nabbed with the help of Kattappana SHO PT Murugan, SI Sajimon Joseph, VK Anish, Tamil Nadu Crime Police SI Shamsuddin and Sethupathi. The elderly and foreign workers are the most vulnerable to fraud. He is an accused in 27 cases in Tamil Nadu and similar cases in the states of Karnataka and Andhra. He also committed scams in Peerumedu, Kumali, Pampanar, Vandiperiyar, Elapara and Kattappana in Idukki district.