Pune: A fraudster who targeted senior citizens by swapping their ATM cards and withdrawing money from their bank accounts has been arrested by the Vishrambaug police. The accused, identified as Raju Pralhad Kulkarni (54) from Mysuru, Karnataka, was found in possession of 166 ATM cards from different banks and cash worth ₹14 lakh.
The case came to light when an elderly person reported that ₹22,000 was withdrawn from their account after the suspect pretended to help them at an ATM center. The incident took place on February 2 at the Bank of Maharashtra ATM on Lal Bahadur Shastri Road. Following the complaint, police registered a case and launched an investigation.
The accused would target elderly citizens who visited ATM centers to withdraw their pension money. If they faced difficulty in using the machine, he would offer help, trick them into handing over their ATM card, and secretly note their PIN number.
Using sleight of hand, he would insert his own ATM card into the machine, making it appear as though the PIN was incorrect. He would then advise the victim to visit the bank for assistance and leave the scene. Once the victim left, he would use their actual ATM card to withdraw money from their account.
Under the supervision of Senior Inspector Vijaymala Pawar, a team led by PSI Manoj Barure and constables Mayur Bhosale and Ashish Kharat tracked the accused using intelligence sources and technical analysis. After gathering substantial evidence, they arrested Raju Kulkarni and recovered 166 ATM cards from his possession.
Authorities suspect that more citizens may have been victims of this scam and urge them to report their cases to the Vishrambaug Police Station. The police have assured strict action against financial fraudsters and have advised senior citizens to be cautious while using ATMs.
The investigation was conducted under the guidance of Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner Ranjan Kumar Sharma, Additional Commissioner Praveen Kumar Patil, DCP Sandeep Singh Gill, and Assistant Commissioner Sainath Thombre.