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Panchkula police bust ATM fraud racket; 2 arrested

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activeCyber Crime / Digital ArrestPunjab

Panchkula police bust ATM fraud racket; 2 arrested

Panchkula police in Haryana have arrested two men for allegedly running a cyber fraud racket targeting elderly, unfamiliar with digital banking, and less-educated individuals visiting automated teller machines to withdraw cash. The accused were apprehended following a tip-off received by the cyber crime police station in Sector 20 regarding two men moving suspiciously around market ATMs.

State

Punjab

First reported

October 2026

Agency involved

Panchkula Police (Cyber Crime Police Station, Sector 20)

Arrests

Two men (identified as Manoj Kumar from Hisar and Anil from Bhiwani)

Recoveries

70 ATM cards, 1 POS machine, 2 mobile phones

Charges or sections cited

Sections 318(4) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)

Status

Both accused remanded in police custody for four days; further investigation underway

The full story

Everything you need to know about this case, in one place.

During the operation, law enforcement authorities recovered a total of 70 ATM cards from different banks, a point-of-sale machine, and two mobile phones from the suspects. Preliminary questioning by investigators indicated that the pair tricked victims into revealing their secret PINs, swapped their original cards with similar-looking ones, and used them to withdraw money. They also allegedly picked up cards left behind by customers inside ATM booths.

The authorities registered a case at the Sector 20 cyber crime police station under specific sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Following their arrest, a court remanded the two suspects into police custody for four days as investigators work to identify other members of the alleged gang, trace the source of the point-of-sale machine, and examine the full scope of their operations across Haryana and Delhi.

Not yet reported: The exact total financial loss suffered by the victims is not specified in the reports.

Where the case stands

The latest position in the reports we read.

The two suspects have been arrested, formally charged, and remanded in police custody for four days while investigators continue their probe into the wider network.

Who was affected

Described in general terms; we do not name victims.

Vulnerable ATM users, primarily elderly, less-educated individuals, and people unfamiliar with digital banking in areas including Panchkula, Kalka, Haryana, and Delhi.

Timeline

Key dates as reported, oldest first.

October 14, 2026The cyber crime team received information about suspicious individuals carrying numerous ATM cards and a point-of-sale machine in the Sector 20 market.

October 2026 (Wednesday/Thursday as reported)Police apprehended the two suspects following a tip-off and registered a formal case at the Sector 20 cyber crime police station.

How the scam worked

The method described in the reports.

The accused approached vulnerable individuals such as the elderly or less-educated people visiting ATMs to withdraw cash, often offering unwanted assistance.
They tricked the victims into disclosing their ATM PINs during the interaction.
Under the guise of helping or while pretending to assist, the fraudsters swapped the victims' original debit cards with similar-looking ones.
They subsequently used the stolen or swapped cards to withdraw money from various ATMs.
The accused also collected ATM cards inadvertently left behind by customers in machines.
They utilized a point-of-sale machine to withdraw money using the acquired cards.

Targeted by something similar?

Call 1930 (free, 24x7) straight away, then file at cybercrime.gov.in. Money reported in the first hours is far easier to freeze.

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Sources and further reading

Optional. The full story is above; these are the original reports it was prepared from.

hindustantimes.comOriginal report rediff.comOriginal report tribuneindia.comOriginal report Hindustan Times<![CDATA[https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/panchkula-police-bust-atm-fraud-racket-2-arrested-101792095864963.html]]>

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