Mumbai News: ATM Skimming Fraud Resurfaces In Mulund; ₹16,000 Stolen From Three Customers

After a temporary decline in ATM skimming incidents, a shocking case has once again surfaced in Mumbai. At a UCO Bank ATM centre in Mulund (West), fraudsters allegedly installed a skimmer-like device to steal money from three customers, totaling Rs16,000. A case has been registered and the Mulund police have begun an investigation.

According to the police complaint filed by Abhijit Vinod Mukherjee,34, Senior Manager at UCO Bank’s Mulund Branch located at Rudraksh Heritage Building, RHB Road, the fraud came to light following a customer grievance received via email on September 16.

The email, sent by the bank’s ATM management cell, stated that a customer had attempted to withdraw Rs10,000 on September 13. Although the cash did not dispense, the amount was debited from the customer's account.

Bank Shuts ATM, Reviews Transactions

Upon receiving the complaint, the bank immediately shut down the ATM and reviewed withdrawal history from the past five days. It was discovered that two other customers also attempted withdrawals on September 14 and 16, amounting to Rs6,000 in total.

In each case, the cash was not collected by the customers and the transaction logs showed “cash not picked.” However, the system later showed “previous cash removed” under the same transaction IDs indicating the cash was physically taken later.

The total fraudulent withdrawals amounted to Rs16,000, none of which were received by the actual account holders. This raised serious concerns among bank officials, prompting them to review CCTV footage from the ATM centre.

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CCTV Footage Reveals Modus Operandi

To their shock, the footage revealed a suspicious individual installing a metallic strip-like device resembling a skimming tool exactly where the cash is dispensed. After customers attempted to withdraw money and left without receiving it, the same individual returned to the ATM, removed the device, and walked away with the cash.

The footage also indicated the involvement of a second unknown person in the scheme.

Police Launch Investigation

Following these revelations, Mukherjee filed an official complaint at Mulund Police Station. A case has been registered under sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act. Police are currently scanning CCTV footage and working to identify and locate the suspects.