Have Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank accounts? Be very worried; this is why

On a daily basis there are reports about a number of people being cheated of their hard earned money. It is not really their fault, but if proper care is taken, the chances of miscreants cheating bank account holders reduces a lot. Whether it is digital transactions or simply taking your credit cards and debit cards to your local bank ATM to withdraw funds, a lot of care has to be exercised to ensure thieves do not steal money.

The danger was highlighted in a recent case in Kolkata. In a shocking revelation, Kolkata Police identified yet another bank ATM in addition to two others where these machines were allegedly tampered with and used to clone people's card and other sensitive details. What is more, the miscreants fraudulently withdrew around Rs 18-20 lakh from some bank accounts.

As many as 77 complaints of fraudulent withdrawals from the affected account holders have been received said police and added that primarily Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Kotak Mahindra Bank account holders were compromised, according to IANS.

"We have identified an ATM outlet of Kotak Mahindra Bank in south Kolkata's Elgin Road where the scheming device was used to clone people's card details. This too was an unmanned ATM outlet," Joint Commissioner of Kolkata Police Praveen Tripathi said.

Earlier, police had identified 2 other unguarded city bank ATM outlets of Canara Bank and Punjab National Bank, where miscreants got away with innocent people's money.

The most worrying part is that it may involve people from other states. This is an inter-state racket, according to police and unauthorised withdrawals were done even from certain ATMs in Delhi!

Not just the common people, the miscreants took advantage of some high profile persons in Kolkata including a renowned radio jockey at a private FM station and an ex-Calcutta University Professor.

Reportedly, the crime was revealed earlier this week when the affected bank account holders approached authorities about having lost big amounts to bank fraud. The sums ranged from Rs 4,000 to Rs 40,000. Authorities then zeroed in on skimming devices planted in some ATM machines in the city.

In just Canara Bank, around 37 customers have been affected in just its south Kolkata branch. The bank said it will refund its customers' lost money and that too within 7 days.

Tips to safe bank ATM trip

1. Do not allow anyone else inside kiosk
2. Do not ask for anyone's help
3. Make sure ATM machine is not tampered with where you punch in PIN details. Skimming devices can be fixed there by miscreants
4. Do not give credit card to anyone
5. Do not reveal PIN number to anyone, even your kin
6. Cover your fingers with your palm while punching in PIN
7. Check your bank account amounts regularly
8. Do not go to unguarded ATMs

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9. Do not share credit, debit card details on social media
10. As much as possible, use single ATM near you that also has the banks office attached to it.