A CORRESPONDENT
BOKAKHAT: A suspected fraud gang has allegedly been targeting elderly people at ATMs in Bokakhat by swapping their ATM cards and subsequently withdrawing cash and making purchases using the cards.
Recently, a retired man, Phulen Chandra Kakoti, visited the ATM at Tirupati Complex on Hospital Road in Bokakhat town and withdrew Rs 1,000 in the morning. According to the complaint, members of the gang who were allegedly waiting inside the ATM obtained his PIN and swapped his ATM card with another card before leaving.
The gang allegedly returned to the same ATM shortly afterwards and withdrew Rs 10,000 on four occasions, totalling Rs 40,000. They then reportedly travelled to Jorhat, where they used Kakoti’s ATM card to purchase gold jewellery worth Rs 75,000 from MP Jewellery.
The following day, the suspects allegedly withdrew another Rs 40,000 from the ATM at Tirupati Complex. Later that afternoon, they reportedly purchased jewellery worth Rs 71,000 from MP Jewellery in Jorhat and clothes worth Rs 4,000 from a mall.
According to the victim, a total of Rs 2.29 lakh was withdrawn or spent from his account over two days. Kakoti subsequently lodged an FIR at Bokakhat Police Station.
A similar incident was later reported involving another elderly person, identified by the surname Bora. The same gang allegedly used the same method to swap his ATM card at the Tirupati Complex ATM. Over the following two days, the suspects reportedly withdrew cash and purchased jewellery worth Rs 66,621 from MP Jewellery, causing a total loss of Rs 1,11,621 from his account.
Bora also informed Bokakhat Police about the incident. While the suspects were allegedly attempting to purchase jewellery at MP Jewellery in Jorhat using Bora’s card, one of them reportedly aroused the suspicion of the shop employees. After Bora’s family contacted the jewellery shop following their own inquiry, the suspect fled the premises. However, employees managed to record a video of the suspect on a mobile phone.
Despite being informed about the incidents, police have so far been unable to apprehend the suspected gang.
The incidents have caused concern among residents of Bokakhat, with many people reportedly becoming apprehensive about using ATMs and questioning the security measures in place.
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