PNP vows to hunt down ATM skimmers
Mugshot of arrested Bulgarian national Mladenov Emil Stoyanov. PHOTO FROM PNP PIO
MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police (PNP)’s anti-bank robbery team vowed to hunt down members of a syndicate involved in automated teller machine (ATM) fraud following the arrest of two Bulgarians in Pampanga last May.
The arrest of Mladenov Emil Stoyanov and Kanev Lyuben Georgieve prompted the Joint Anti-Bank Robbery Action Committee (Jabrac) in searching for individuals who are likely involved in international ATM fraud scheme, police said Thursday.
Jabrac is a committee joined by government and private sectors chaired by PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima.
Stoyanov and Georgieve were caught installing ATM skimming devices on the pin pad of an ATM booth of Banco de Oro inside SM City Pampanga.
Skimming devices are placed surreptitiously in ATM keypads to copy the bank account data from inserted cards and loot the owner’s bank account.
Article continues after this advertisementLast February, a Romanian national was also arrested in Angeles City, Pampanga for attaching skimming devices to ATMs.
Article continues after this advertisementBoth arrests were the work of Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) of Central Luzon Police.
Mugshot of arrested Bulgarian national Kanev Lyuben Georgieve. PHOTO FROM PNP PIO
Seized from the duo were three data port cable matching the ATM card skimmer, flat screw driver used in picking ATM cards, laptop with a software decoding ATM accounts.
The foreigners will be charged with the violation of Republic Act 8484 or the Access Devices Regulation Act Of 1998.
Judge Divina Luz Aquino-Simbulan of the Pampanga Regional Trial Court branch 41 recommended a P1.5 million bail for each of the accused.
They are currently detained at the Pampanga Provincial Jail.
Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP Public Information Office chief, said that Jabrac also advised bank owners to install Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras near their ATM booths.
“Also, the designation of civilian guard will be a great help to watch and secure their respective ATMs,” Sindac said.
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