Europol Dismantles International Skimming Group

During a recent operation, Europol has dismantled a major international criminal group specializing in skimming. Over 1,000 counterfeit credit cards were confiscated as part of the arrests. The operation, known as “Operation Neptune,” led to the arrest of key members of the group, including four Bulgarian citizens on November 30, 2017.

International Law Enforcement Collaboration

The operation involved cooperation between Italian police, Bulgaria’s General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, the Czech Republic police, and the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3). According to Europol representatives, the alleged leaders of the group oversaw the installation of skimming devices on ATMs in Central European cities, stole credit card data, and used the information to produce fake cards. These counterfeit cards were then used to withdraw cash from ATMs in countries outside Europe, including Belize, Indonesia, and Jamaica.

Details of the Skimming Operation

Europol reports that the criminals modified dozens of ATMs, installing barely noticeable cameras and skimming devices. The operation resulted in the seizure of more than 1,000 counterfeit credit cards and uncovered evidence of fraudulent activities causing losses exceeding €50,000.

Europol officials noted that compromising ATMs remains relatively easy, as many machines are technically outdated or run obsolete operating systems.

Background and Skimming Explained

Earlier in June of this year, Europol dismantled another international criminal network involved in credit card fraud.

Skimming is a type of bank card fraud that involves using devices called skimmers. These devices read the information stored on a card’s magnetic stripe. Skimmers are typically attached to ATMs, specifically to the card slot. The card’s PIN is captured using a small video camera placed near the ATM. Such devices often have transmitters that remotely send the stolen information. Once the criminals have the card data and PIN, they create a duplicate card and can withdraw money from the victim’s account.

Sources

• Security Lab