Police Investigate Theft of Elderly Woman's ATM Card in Nnewi, Suspect Withdraws N2 Million

 

The Anambra State Police Command has initiated an investigation to determine how an unidentified woman allegedly stole an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card from a partially sighted elderly woman and emptied her account within minutes.

The incident reportedly took place at an ATM in Nnewi, located in the Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, over the weekend.

A video, which was monitored by our correspondent on Thursday, captured the moment when the suspect swapped the elderly woman’s ATM card after the victim had complained of multiple unauthorized debits from her account.

A 42-second CCTV footage of the incident, which has been circulating widely on social media, also supports the claim.

The video shows how the young woman took advantage of the elderly, visually-impaired victim by switching her ATM card, then leaving the scene to withdraw the funds from another ATM within minutes.

On Thursday, the elderly woman, a widow, shared her experience at the bank (name withheld). She said, “I went to the ATM to withdraw some cash but struggled to operate the machine due to my visual impairment.

“A woman, wearing a red top and black trousers, offered to help me. However, during this process, she swapped my ATM card with an expired and fake one after secretly obtaining my PIN. I did not realize the swap until she had already left.

“Shortly after, while I was still struggling with the card, I started receiving debit alerts on my phone, and in a short time, up to N2 million was withdrawn in installments. When I went to the bank to report the issue, they showed me the CCTV footage, where the woman was clearly visible. It is heartbreaking that this happened at a time when I urgently need funds for transactions.”

When our correspondent visited the bank, an official, who asked to remain anonymous, warned people to never share their ATM PIN with anyone at the ATM, emphasizing the importance of vigilance, especially for vulnerable individuals such as the elderly and those with disabilities.

She advised, “If you face any issue at the ATM, reach out to bank personnel for assistance rather than sharing your PIN. The woman in question took advantage of the elderly woman’s vulnerability, obtained her PIN, swapped her card for a fake one, and left to withdraw money. This is a cruel act.

“The CCTV footage has captured the culprit, and now it’s up to security agencies to investigate and bring her to justice. The community’s involvement is crucial in identifying the suspect since she might live nearby, and someone may recognize her. It's an unfortunate situation for the victim.”

The spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident on Thursday. He said the police had seen the circulating video and had started an investigation.

Ikenga reported that the Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Itam, expressed concern over the matter and instructed the Public Relations Office to contact the victim for further information that could aid the investigation.

He added that the Commissioner had ordered the full deployment of the police's intelligence-gathering tools to identify the suspect and apprehend the criminal group involved.

Ikenga said, “The Anambra State Police Command has intercepted a viral video showing an unidentified woman at an ATM in Nnewi, who allegedly swapped an ATM card belonging to a 58-year-old disabled woman and withdrew N2 million in parts.

“We have begun our investigation into the incident and call on anyone with relevant information, particularly residents of Nnewi and surrounding areas, to help identify the suspect for possible arrest and prosecution.

“Preliminary information suggests that the woman disguised herself as someone offering assistance to the victim. After obtaining the victim’s PIN, she swapped the ATM card. Just minutes later, the elderly woman received multiple debit alerts, totaling N2 million.”