In a successful operation, Valparai police in Tamil Nadu arrested a 36-year-old man, K Najeeb, from Kerala for his involvement in ATM fraud. Najeeb, a wall painter by profession, deceived multiple victims by offering to assist them at ATMs. However, he would secretly swap their original ATM cards with fake ones and withdraw money from their accounts.
K Najeeb, hailing from Cherthala in Alappuzha district, was apprehended after a complaint was filed by Murugammal, a 45-year-old tea estate worker from Nallamudi estate. On November 9, she reported that a man had helped her at an ATM kiosk in Valparai and swindled Rs 9,000 by replacing her card with a fake one.
Upon receiving the complaint, Valparai police initiated an investigation. On Wednesday, a special team from Valparai spotted Najeeb near an ATM on Nadumalai Road. Upon questioning, they found 43 dummy ATM cards, five face masks, three caps, and Rs 5,290 in cash in his possession.
Najeeb targeted mainly elderly individuals, offering assistance while secretly learning their PINs. He would then swap their original ATM cards with fake ones and immediately withdraw money from their accounts. He has also been linked to similar crimes in Pollachi, Valparai, and Kerala.
Police have confirmed that Najeeb specifically used cards with colors matching the victims’ original ATM cards to complete his scam. Following his arrest, Najeeb was remanded to Coimbatore Central Prison, with further investigations ongoing.
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