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The Province (Vancouver, BC)
Friday, June 27, 2003
Section: Front
Byline: Jason Proctor

Debit card scam involved hidden camera and tapped phone line to steal 1,000 debit cards

Two young men have been charged with debit card fraud in what police say had the potential to be Canada's biggest-ever debit card scam.

Iman Akhlagh Moayed, 20, and Armin Aghvami, 21, had more than 1,000 forged debit cards when they were arrested June 15, Staff-Sgt. Casey Dehaas of New Westminster police said yesterday.

Police found three computer disks with the personal information of about 6,000 bank customers when they searched the trunk of the car the men were caught in, he said.

Investigators allege the men stole bank card information from April 16 to May 6 in an elaborate operation at the Super Save Gas station at Westwood Street and Christmas Way in Coquitlam.

When customers swiped their debit cards in a debit card pad, a sophisticated skimming device installed in the phone line between the cash register and the bank recorded the information contained on the black magnetic strip of the debit card and the date and time of the transactions, said Dehaas.

A hidden video camera mounted in the ceiling observed the PIN numbers the customers used to pay for purchases through Interac, he said. The Interac machine was taped to the counter so customers couldn't move it from the camera's gaze, Dehaas said.

"It appears that an employee who was working for the Super Save Gas station during that period of time was responsible for the mounting of this equipment and its removal," said Dehaas.

"Once all the information from the video camera and skimming device were obtained, forged debit cards were created in order to access the customers' accounts."

At a packed media conference, Dehaas held up two thick binders full of white, bogus debit cards -- PIN numbers taped upon them in some cases -- and a stack of confidential information.

"The suspects had the ability to create up to 1,000 debit cards in a five- to six-hour period," he said. "This scam had the potential of withdrawing millions of dollars from customers' accounts."

Although police say they thwarted the scam before the suspects were about to withdraw millions of dollars from accounts, several customers interviewed at the station yesterday said they were victims.

"I was pretty mad," said 20-year-old Garrett Olson.

He said he didn't lose any money, but his bank called him to say his debit card had been compromised.

Others weren't so lucky.

Bruce Coe and George Santo told CTV News last night they had lost $892 and $600, respectively, in the scam.

Moayed, of Coquitlam, and Aghvami, from Port Moody -- each charged with fraudulent use of a credit card and possession of a forged credit card -- were released on bail yesterday. Dehaas said more charges are expected and police are looking for the Super Save employee.

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Edition: Final
Story Type: News

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