A visually-impaired widow in Anambra State has fallen victim to a heartless scam at an ATM in Nnewi, where an unidentified woman allegedly stole her ATM card and withdrew over N2 million from her account within minutes.

The incident, which occurred over the weekend, was discovered on Tuesday when the widow reported multiple unauthorized debit alerts to her bank. CCTV footage later revealed that the suspect, disguised as a Good Samaritan, swapped the widow’s card with an expired one under the guise of assisting her with the ATM.

The widow, recounting her ordeal on Thursday, said, “I couldn’t operate the ATM due to my visual impairment. A lady nearby offered to help me but used the opportunity to swap my card. By the time I realized it, my account had been emptied.”

The bank’s CCTV footage, now circulating on social media, shows the suspect wearing a red top and black trousers, swiftly swapping the victim’s card and withdrawing funds from another ATM.

A bank official who spoke anonymously advised vulnerable individuals to seek help only from authorized personnel. “This unfortunate incident highlights the need for vigilance. Customers should never disclose their PINs to strangers,” the official said.

The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the case and launched a manhunt for the suspect. Police spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga said the Commissioner of Police, CP Aderemi Adeoye, has directed investigators to deploy intelligence tools to track the culprit.

“The trending video provides critical evidence, and we are calling on the public to assist with any information that could lead to the suspect’s arrest,” Ikenga stated.

The police assured the public of their commitment to bringing the suspect to justice and urged residents to exercise caution when using ATMs, particularly in vulnerable situations.