The Anambra State Police Command has started an investigation into the theft of an ATM card belonging to a visually impaired widow in Nnewi, which led to the withdrawal of N2 million from her account within minutes.

The incident, which occurred over the weekend at an ATM point in Nnewi North Local Government Area, was caught on CCTV. A video of the fraud has been circulating on social media, showing a young woman in a red top and black trousers swapping the elderly victim’s card with an expired one before fleeing the scene.

The widow narrated her ordeal on Thursday while visiting her bank. “I went to the ATM to withdraw money, but I struggled to operate the machine because of my visual impairment,” she explained“A young lady offered to help me. Unknown to me, she swapped my ATM card and took my PIN. Shortly after she left, I started receiving debit alerts, and my account was emptied. I lost N2 million in total. When I complained to the bank, the CCTV footage revealed what happened. This is heartbreaking at a time I need the money the most,” the victim said.

A bank official, speaking anonymously, cautioned ATM users to be vigilant. “This incident shows the importance of not disclosing your PIN to anyone at the ATM point. If you need help, contact bank personnel. The suspect pretended to help the victim, took her card, and withdrew her money immediately from another location. The CCTV footage has identified her, and we urge the community to assist the police in finding her,” the official stated.

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The Anambra State Police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident and said investigations were ongoing. He urged residents with information to come forward.

“The police intercepted a video showing an unidentified woman at an ATM in Nnewi swapping an ATM card belonging to a 58-year-old disabled woman. The suspect withdrew N2 million in parts within minutes. The Commissioner of Police has directed the use of all intelligence tools to locate the suspect and her possible accomplices,” Ikenga said.

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He added that the police are committed to ensuring justice for the victim. “We call on the public, especially residents of Nnewi and nearby areas, to provide any useful information that could lead to the suspect’s arrest and prosecution.”

The police assured the public of their efforts to bring the culprit to justice while urging vigilance to prevent such incidents in the future.