Vadodara: A quick request for cash outside an ATM turned costly several citizens, with city police arresting a man who allegedly used fake payment confirmations to dupe people into handing over cash.City police arrested Sahil Sheikh, a resident of Wadi, for allegedly cheating people by showing fake screenshots generated through malicious ‘look-alike’ mobile applications.According to police, Sheikh targeted people outside ATM booths across the city. On Aug 16, he approached a man near an SBI ATM in Harni and said he needed cash but his debit card was not working. He asked the complainant to give him Rs 8,000 in cash and promised to transfer the sum online immediately.The complainant handed over the money. Sheikh pretended to complete an online transfer and showed him a screen ostensibly showing a successful transaction. The complainant later found that no funds had been credited to his account and realised that the screenshot shown to him had been generated using a malicious application.The victim then approached the police. Investigators traced the accused through CCTV footage and informants. Crime branch later learned that Sheikh had been seen near an ATM booth at Ayurvedic Crossroads. A police team nabbed him. On interrogation, police found that 27-year-old Sheikh allegedly duped three people over the past few months using this modus operandi.“Sheikh has a case under the Pocso Act registered against him along with a gambling offence. We are investigating if he is involved in any other offences,” a police officer said.
