Using illegal “skimming” devices planted on ATM machines in Manhatta, three men siphoned debit card numbers from nearly 1,500 Individual and used the the stolen debit card numbers to make more than $285,000 in fraudulent transactions.
Nikolai Ivanov, 31, Dimitar Stamatov, 28, and Iordan Ivanov, 24 are charged with Scheme to Defraud, Burglary, Criminal Possession of Forgery Devices, Grand Larceny, and Petit Larceny; Nikolai Ivanov and Stamatov are additionally charged with Identity Theft.
“These defendants traveled to New York from Canada to rip off hundreds of Manhattan residents and visitors who did no more than use ATM machines,” said District Attorney Vance. “In order to thwart ATM skimming operations, it is critical not only for law enforcement and financial institutions to take proactive investigative measures, but also to raise awareness among consumers about the practice of ATM skimming.”
According to the report Criminals used ATM “skimming” devices, which consisted of a green plastic lip that fit over the slot where users dip their ATM cards, and a hidden video camera. The plastic lip intercepted the victims’ debit card numbers by reading the card’s magnetic stripe at the beginning of the ATM transaction, while the hidden video camera recorded the victims’ entry of PIN numbers.
District Attorney Vance recommended that ATM users take the following simple steps to avoid being skimmed:
- Examine the ATM machine for fixtures that appear impermanent or imperfect, particularly in the vicinity of where you dip your card.
- When entering a PIN number with one hand, use the other hand to cover the PIN number entry, to avoid it from being recorded by a hidden camera.
