In a striking case that proves old habits die hard, a private hospital owner in Bihar’s Purnea district has been arrested by local police for his persistent ATM card swapping scam. Mohammad Imtiaz, a resident of Sahayak Khajanchi under Line Bazar police station, was caught red-handed while attempting to dupe a victim at an ATM kiosk in Gulabbagh area under Sadar police station.
The incident unfolded when a man approached the ATM to withdraw cash but faced issues due to a wrong pin entry. Standing behind him, Imtiaz, posing as a helpful bystander, offered assistance. He cleverly removed the original card, swapped it with a duplicate, and inserted it back into a different machine. When the victim tried again, the machine rejected the pin, alerting nearby witnesses who had observed the sleight of hand.
A quick-thinking onlooker confronted Imtiaz, recovered the original card, and a crowd gathered, leading to his thrashing before police from Dial 112 arrived. Officers seized multiple ATM cards from various banks in his possession. Investigations reveal Imtiaz has a long history of such frauds, with prior arrests and jail terms, yet he continued his criminal ways despite building a legitimate facade.
Despite his low education, Imtiaz’s sharp mind earned him substantial wealth through these scams. Over the past six years, he invested in a large unregistered hospital in Line Bazar, hiring external doctors and relying on auto drivers, ASHA workers, and middlemen for patient influx. The facility generates good revenue, but Imtiaz couldn’t resist occasional returns to his old tricks.
At Purnea Medical College for a medical check before jail remand, the handcuffed Imtiaz even tried intimidating media personnel covering the story, walking ahead of police casually while other accused were roped. Sadar SHO Ajay Kumar confirmed the arrest, FIR registration, and judicial custody for ATM fraud.
This case underscores how deeply ingrained criminal tendencies can persist, even amid apparent success and stability, reminding society of the need for vigilant policing and public awareness against ATM frauds.