Patna, Aug 4: A man from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district allegedly lost ₹50,000 after contacting a suspected fake customer-care number displayed inside an ATM booth when his debit card became stuck in the machine, police said.
The victim, Ramlakhan Kumar, a resident of Khabra, had visited an ATM at Gobarsahi Chowk to withdraw cash.
During the transaction, his debit card reportedly got trapped inside the machine and could not be retrieved despite repeated attempts.
According to the complaint, Kumar noticed a mobile number written inside the ATM booth and called it, believing it to be an official helpline.
The person who answered allegedly posed as a customer-care representative and instructed him to press certain buttons on the ATM.
When the card did not come out, the caller reportedly told Kumar that an ATM operator would be sent to assist him and asked him to wait near a nearby bank branch.
Kumar later found that no representative had arrived.While he was away from the ATM, he received alerts indicating that money was being withdrawn from his account.
A total of ₹50,000 was allegedly withdrawn through five transactions of ₹10,000 each, according to the complaint.
After noticing the unauthorised withdrawals, Kumar informed his bank and was advised to file a police complaint. An FIR was subsequently registered at Sadar Police Station.
Police said they are examining CCTV footage from the ATM and surrounding areas to identify the persons involved.
Investigators suspect that the accused may have retrieved the card after Kumar left the booth and used it to withdraw money, though the exact sequence of events is being verified.
Police have urged ATM users to avoid calling mobile numbers displayed unofficially inside ATM premises.
Customers facing ATM-related problems have been advised to contact only verified helpline numbers available on their debit cards, bank applications or official bank websites.The investigation is underway.
