(Source” Juan Ortega Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (MCT) — two men who went from ATM to ATM in Plantation over the weekend withdrew funds using stolen credit card information, authorities say.
The transactions caught the attention of bank security officials, and police tracked the men to a Citibank ATM that they were using near West Broward Boulevard, officials said.
Toscho Ilyeff, 38, and Aleksandar Nikolov, 33, were found with numerous credit and gift cards in their possession Sunday and were arrested on charges of trafficking in counterfeit credit cards, officials said.
The men are suspected of being part of a fraud ring that uses “skimming” devices to steal credit card information from victims, according to Broward Judge John “Jay” Hurley, reading from an arrest affidavit.
Skimming involves electronically transmitting or storing the data on a credit card, including a bank account number. Thieves take that credit card information and encode it onto a lost, stolen, or counterfeit credit card, officials said.
The ease with which thieves obtain skimming devices has made that kind of theft common, Plantation Police Detective Phillip Toman said.
“It’s an easy crime to commit and a lot of times it goes undetected,” Toman said. “By the time the victims find out, when they get their credit card statements, it’s too late.”
On Sunday, police found Nikolov with more than 20 credit and gift cards and with more than $1,000, Hurley said, reading from an arrest report. They found Ilyeff with 13 credit and gift cards in his possession and with $1,100, Hurley said.
Though the men were apprehended at a Citibank ATM, they previously “committed several frauds” at a Chase bank ATM on Pine Island Road, Hurley said, citing the report.
During a court hearing Monday, Nikolov and Ilyeff stood side by side at a lectern. Nikolov said he has lived in Chicago the past decade. Ilyeff, who said he lives in Bulgaria, said he began his visit to the United States last month.
“both of you have a lack of ties to South Florida,” Hurley told them. “the court believes you represent a risk of flight.”
Both men were ordered held without bond Monday because of pending immigration holds. should they later become eligible for bond, a hearing would be held to ensure their bond funds aren’t from ill-gotten gains, Hurley said.
Additional details about the alleged fraud ring weren’t available.
To protect against skimming, the Secret Service advises consumers to pay attention to their credit card activity during purchases. the agency says ensure your credit card is swiped only once at a register, and conceal your PIN as you enter it into an ATM or credit card reader.
jcortega@tribune.com or 954-356-4701
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Source” Juan Ortega Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (MCT)
Two Suspects Accused of ATM Fraud in Plantation
