Bulgarians nabbed for ATM skimming in Makati on Christmas Day

MANILA, Philippines–Two Bulgarian nationals were arrested for alleged automated teller machine (ATM) skimming in Makati City on Christmas Day, police said.

In a statement, the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group said it arrested Angelov Nicolay and Svetlin Hristov as they were caught red-handed detaching a keypad overlay on an ATM on December 25, 6 p.m.

Police said ATM skimmers use the keypad overlay to capture the account holder’s Personal Identification Number (PIN).

Anti-Cybercrime Group director Senior Superintendent Gilbert Sosa said this modus operandi is used by Eastern Europeans for ATM skimming.

Police urged the public to report cases of ATM skimming to the Anti-Cybercrime Group to help authorities investigate and file charges against culprits.

The Bulgarian suspects will be charged with violation of Republic Act No. 8484 or the Access Device Act of 1998, police said.

Central bank officials earlier told a House of Representatives inquiry on ATM skimming that less than one in 100 Filipinos are victimized by this fraud.

The number is essentially negligible compared with the global incidence rate of 25 percent based on a Nasdaq report, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas official Melchor Plabasan said.

Last May, two Bulgarians were also arrested for allegedly cloning ATM cards in San Fernando, Pampanga.

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