Card fraud gang sentenced to 15 years

Four criminals have been sentenced for a total of 15 years at Southwark Crown Court for their involvement in a series of card frauds that took place in the south of England during 2009.
 
 
23-06-2010

        
Their scam involved tampering with chip and PIN devices in various petrol stations in order to copy the electronic data from customers’ credit and debit cards. The criminals then used this data to make fake magnetic stripe cards that could be used fraudulently overseas in countries yet to introduce chip and PIN.
 
An investigation by officers from the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit (DCPCU) – the unique bank-sponsored police squad – led to the arrest of the four suspects.
 
Detective Chief Inspector John Osibote, who leads the DCPCU, said:
 
 “As a result of this operation, the Unit has prevented a significant amount of card fraud from taking place. We have worked closely with both the banking and retail sector on this investigation, and together we are sending a very clear message that those responsible for these types of fraud will be caught and prosecuted.”
 
The DCPCU was established in April 2002 and, over the past eight years, it has prevented an estimated £340 million of card and cheque fraud losses, which means on average it has saved over £3.5 million of losses per month.