14 DAY TRIAL // A criminal group known as The Cubans is targeting pay-at-the-pump gas terminals, according to US authorities, being responsible for damages between $8 and $15 million to local banking institutions.
The group, suspected to be operating out of Florida, is part of a larger national trend that has seen major fraud campaigns move towards self-serving devices like ATMs and pay-at-the-pump terminals.
The reason for this shift is the recent introduction of EMV (chip-and-PIN) technology in the US, which has negated many tools and tricks used by fraudsters in the past. This has pushed them towards classic skimming operations, with ATMs and other end-points in their sights.
As BankInfoSecurity is reporting, gas pumps won't receive the security updates that come with EMV technology until October 2016 for MasterCard and October 2017 for Visa. October 2017 is also the date for EMV fraud liability shift for US ATMs.
In the meantime, skimming operations are expected to intensify in the US, as criminal groups either evolve or move to other types of illegal activities.
Police had detained 2 skimmers, but could not arrest
As for The Cubans, US authorities believe they have a trail on two of its members, Oriam Perez Cerezuela and Alexander Brito.
The two were detained and questioned by police in Post Falls, Idaho, after Wal-Mart employees reported that the suspects purchased Visa gift cards for the exorbitant sum of $7,000.
Due to lack of evidence and probable cause, the two were released and are believed to have returned to Florida.
More evidence surfaced later on, after local Idaho banks started reporting fraudulent transactions. Police also identified two skimming devices installed on self-serving gas pumps at two local Idaho Falls Jifi Stop gas stations.
A local Bank of America branch said 100 cardholders were affected by fraudulent transactions, 50 of which are believed to be tied to one of the two gas stations where skimming devices were found.
Police are now seeking the two and have issued arrest warrants in their names.