CHENNAI: In a scene straight out of a movie, two unidentified men stole `6 lakh from a private bank’s ATM after tampering with the machine’s settings during the first week of April. The duo used a key to open the machine on GST Road in Meenambakkam, and set the machine to dispense notes of `500 denomination when requested for notes of `100 denomination.
Police said the bank did not observe the theft immediately since the suspects were clever enough to revert the machine to its original settings.
The issue came to light when the bank’s Meenambakkam branch manager conducted an audit recently. A total of `6 lakh was withdrawn in multiple transactions on consecutive days from the ATM. The manager lodged a police complaint on Tuesday.
“While combing through the CCTV footage from the kiosk, it was revealed that on April 5 and 6, two men used a key to open the ATM and tampered with the settings. They then used a debit card and requested the withdrawal of a specific number of notes of `100 denomination. But, the machine dispensed notes of `500 denomination. Then they reverted the machine to its original settings,” police sources said. A CSR has been filed and further inquiry is on to nab the culprits.