Authorities Break Up Credit Card Skimming Ring at Pricey NYC Steakhouses
CBS New York reports authorities announced Friday that they have busted a steakhouse scam that, for a while, was well done. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. announced the break-up of an elaborate identity theft ring that targeted patrons at steakhouses and other top-tier restaurants. The waiters would allegedly skim diners’ credit cards and go on luxury shopping sprees. Some 28 people face racketeering and other charges. After secretly skimming the diner’s card, they’d allegedly make a counterfeit one. Cops said after making the fake credit cards, members of the ring literally took them for a test drive and used the card to pay for short trips in a taxi to see if the charge would go through, CBS 2?s Tony Aiello reported. Then members of the ring would take the cloned card and go on shopping sprees at stores such as Neiman Marcus, Cartier and Chanel, authorities said. To back up their fake cards, the ring also allegedly made fake drivers’ licenses.
