Charges filed againstATM clone syndicate

By George Trillo

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga– Police filed criminal charges against four suspected members of a syndicate engaged in the cloning of ATM and credit cards who were apprehended during an entrapment operation at a gasoline station in Guiguinto, Bulacan afternoon of Nov. 11.

Chief Supt. Leon Nilo de la Cruz, Central Luzon police director, said that Guiguinto police on Friday filed charges for violation of RA 8484 (Access Device RA of 1998) against Ernesto Luy, 54, businessman of Para¬ñaque, Metro Manila; Jose Mari Peña, 35, of Sta. Cruz, Manila; Marivic Loreno, 48, and Joseph Guarin, 36, both residents of Barangay Pinagbakahan, Malolos City, before the Bulacan Provincial Prosecutors Office.

A separate case of bribery was also filed against Luy for trying to bribe Supt. Erick Ancheta, Guiguinto police chief, with P50,000 cash shortly after they were arrested during the entrapment, said De la Cruz.

He said Luy and his cohorts tried to siphon money from a credit card which they have cloned using a duplicating device.

Police said the group uses ATM and credit card duplicating devices allegedly in connivance with still unidentified employees of commercial establishments.

De la Cruz said once a credit card holder swipes his card, the machine will copy all information, including coded access number of the ATM and credit card holders.

This way the syndicate can easily withdraw money from ATM machines or make transaction using the “cloned” ATM and major credit cards.

Police seized 21 credit cards from Luy and his cohorts including Master cards, Visa cards and other credit cards from big commercial banks.

Also seized from the group were six fake driver’s licenses all bearing the ID picture of Luy but with different names.

Bulacan police are also investigating the possible involvement of employees of commercial establishments in the clandestine cloning of credit and ATM cards.