The Greater Chennai City Police on Monday arrested a 27-year-old youth from Andhra Pradesh who used debit cards which were missed/ left by customers at ATM kiosks and made illegal withdrawal from the accounts using those wifi cards.

Police said V.Karthikventhan, 32 of Choolaimedu lost his ATM card on March 31. However, he received a text message informing that money was withdrawn from his account in three instalments using the card. In this regard, Karthikventhan filed a complaint at Choolaimedu Police Station. A case was registered and investigation was conducted.

The police team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Arumbakkam D. Ramesh conducted an investigation. After analysing the bank account details and where the money went to and mobile phone number in the account used by the person who had withdrawn the money, police arrested Thalla Srinivasalu Reddy, 27 of Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh. A laptop, a mobile phone, two swiping machines and 64 ATM cards were seized from him. Police are searching for another suspect involved in the case.

Further investigation revealed the accused was a former bank employee. He and his accomplice were going to ATM centres in various places in Chennai for the last three years, where they were collecting ‘Wi-Fi ATM cards’ which the customers had left behind.

A senior police officer explained that the password was not required when the contactless card also known as Wi-Fi ATM card was used. Once they transferred the withdrawn money to an online gambling portal, it was tough to trace the money proceeds. Then they transferred money to a bank account of the suspect secretly, he said.