Mumbai Police have arrested a 35-year-old man from Odisha for allegedly duping ATM users, particularly senior citizens, by swapping their debit cards and withdrawing cash, officers said on Monday.
The accused, identified as Sambhavkumar Krishnachandra Acharya, was arrested by Dindoshi Police on March 28 following an extensive investigation involving CCTV analysis and technical surveillance.
According to the police, the case came to light after a complaint was filed by Vishwas Sadanand Bhusan (71), a resident of Raheja Township in Malad East. On February 20, Bhusan visited a State Bank of India ATM on Ranisati Road to withdraw cash when an unknown man allegedly tricked him into exchanging his debit card.
The accused later withdrew Rs 40,000 from Bhusan`s account without his knowledge.
A case was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, following which, under the guidance of senior officers, including Additional Commissioner of Police Shashikumar Meena and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Mahesh Chimte, an investigation was launched by Sub-Inspector Ajit Desai and the crime detection team.
Officers scanned nearly 60 to 70 CCTV footage for over a month and used undercover methods to track down the suspect.
During the arrest, police recovered cash, 25 ATM cards of various banks, and two mobile phones from the accused.
Investigations have revealed that Acharya was involved in at least four similar cases registered across multiple police stations, including Dindoshi, Kasturba, Vanrai, and Kurar. Police said he has been carrying out such ATM swap frauds for the past four years across Mumbai, Thane, and Odisha.
Officials have appealed to citizens to come forward if they have been victims of similar frauds and report the matter to Dindoshi Police Station. Further probe is underway.
