Feds Nab Two More in ATM Skimming Operation
The Seattle PI reports federal authorities have nabbed two more men suspected of “skimming” bank card numbers from ATM machines and using them to make fraudulent purchases, including hundreds of dollars in groceries. Ismail Sali, 52, and Eugen Tirca were arrested Wednesday. Skimming is one of the latest big technology trends for crooks. It entails installing an electronic skimming device over the slot where people feed their cards into an ATM machine. Hidden by a plastic faceplate fashioned to look like the ATM, the skimmer can record hundreds of bank numbers from the cards’ magnetic strips, which criminals later use to recode blank cards, known as “white plastic.” Crooks also will install tiny cameras over the keypad to record as customers type their pin numbers. Then, they will use the newly created cards to withdraw cash or make large purchases on the victim’s dime.
