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Suspect allegedly used hidden camera to get ATM PIN numbers

E-mail|Link|Comments () January 28, 2010 06:02 PM

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

A Canadian man allegedly obtained debit and credit card information by attaching scanner devices and small cameras to ATM machines across eastern Massachusetts and used the information to steal at least $100,000 since November, Norfolk County prosecutors said.

Ivaylo Hristov, 28, of Ontario pleaded not guilty today in Quincy District Court to larceny and identity fraud charges stemming from an incident in Quincy. He was ordered held on $1 million cash bail and faces arraignment Friday on the same charges in another case in Milton.

Prosecutors said said the scanner device would capture information from the unwitting customers' cards, while a pinhole camera would record them as they punched in their PIN numbers. Hristov would later encode the card information onto blank card sand use the PINs to withdraw money from their accounts.

According to Quincy Police, a Citizens Bank security guard spotted Hristov on Tuesday making fraudulent ATM withdrawals at a Hancock Street branch. The guard alerted the police, who arrested Hristov Wednesday in front of a restaurant near the branch.

He had $1,584 at the time of his arrest, police said. District Attorney William Keating said today that Hristov and "teams" of accomplices have stolen at least $100,000 from multiple victims. Neither Keating nor Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan would estimate the number of victims or accomplices.

Local authorities and the US Secret Service are looking for more suspects, Keating said. Keenan said police believe Hristov and his accomplices stole card information from the ATMs of several other banks.