Feds: Thieves with Bluetooth-enabled data skimmers stole over $2 million
13 men were charged with identity theft in a Manhattan District Court.
According to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, the suspects used credit card skimming devices that were Bluetooth-enabled and internally installed on pumps at Raceway and Racetrac gas stations throughout Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina. Because of this configuration, the skimmers were invisible to people who paid at the pumps, and later, the suspects were able to download the skimmed data without physically removing the devices.
Between March 2012 and March 2013, the suspects used forged credit cards to withdraw money at ATMs around Manhattan and deposited the cash in New York bank accounts, feds say. Then, other members of the group withdrew the money from those bank accounts in California or Nevada.
"Each of the defendants’ transactions was under $10,000,” wrote the Manhattan District Attorney's office. “They were allegedly structured in a manner to avoid any cash transaction reporting requirements imposed by law and to disguise the nature, ownership, and control of the defendants’ criminal proceeds. From March 26, 2012, to March 28, 2013, the defendants are accused of laundering approximately $2.1 million.”
Four of the 13 men—Garegin Spartalyan, 40, Aram Martirosian, 34, Hayk Dzhandzhapanyan, 40, and Davit Kudugulyan, 42—are considered lead defendants and are charged with money laundering, theft, and possession of a forgery device and forgery instruments. The other men are are each charged with two counts of money laundering.
I think I am just amazed that they caught anyone at all . This type of attack happens more than people think and no one seem's to ever be caught and prosecuted for the crime . Now on the other hand , how smart where they to have not been caught for a year and to have gained $2.1 Million from many unsuspected consumers out there. It also makes you wonder how it was done to where not many or if any ever missed the money being gone from thier accounts . In all aspects people need to become more aware and less ignorant of the surroundings and about how to protect themselves .
ReplyDeleteThe fact that they got away with it for a year is interesting. No one would think that just a simple card swipe. They were very organized with doing this thinking about every law and route along the way. I honestly wonder what made them get caught. Being very organized about it you think they would know what could happen next and take precautions to prevent them from getting caught.
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