Police investigate a low-tech ATM scam in Nagpur where two men used a plastic strip to trap cash and cheat 41 customers out of Rs 1.52 lakh, highlighting the ongoing vulnerability of cash machines to simple tampering techniques.
Police in Nagpur are investigating an ATM fraud in which two young men allegedly used a strip of plastic to trap cash inside a dispenser, cheating 41 customers out of Rs 1.52 lakh over two days, according to a complaint filed by Canara Bank branch manager Divyansha Sitaram Meena. Staff were alerted after several customers reported that money had been debited from their accounts, SMS alerts had arrived, but no cash had come out. CCTV footage later showed the pair tampering with the machine before returning to remove the notes after customers had left.
The case has highlighted how low-tech ATM fraud can still be highly effective. According to The Times of India, police in Mumbai uncovered a similar “cash-trapping” scam in Bhandup in July 2026, when three suspects, including two women, were arrested after using a plastic strip to block the cash slot. In that case, officers recovered about Rs 1.29 lakh. Earlier cases reported by the same newspaper show a wider pattern of ATM manipulation, including a 2023 fraud in Mumbai involving glue-coated sunmica strips, a Noida gang that used adhesive to trap cards, and a Pune case in which criminals interfered with the cash dispenser itself to withdraw money without proper recording.
In Nagpur, the alleged thefts took place between about 7pm on September 12 and 9pm on September 14 at the Hudkeshwar ATM. According to the complaint, the bank examined footage after repeated reports from customers and found that the suspects had fixed the strip across the dispenser so the cash was held back while the account was still debited. Once the user walked away, the men are accused of retrieving the trapped notes.
Hudkeshwar police have registered a case of cheating and theft and are using the CCTV evidence to trace the suspects. The episode underscores a broader challenge for banks and customers alike: even simple tampering can exploit the gap between a successful debit and a failed cash withdrawal, leaving victims to notice the loss only after the machine has already moved on to the next transaction.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
