Detectives have charged four men and seized 800 blank credit cards, a skimming device, and a card encoder as part of an investigation into an organised credit card skimming syndicate targeting taxi customers.

Earlier this year, detectives from State Crime Command’s Fraud and Cybercrime Squad formed Strike Force Hereford 2 to investigate the activities of a number of men believed to be involved in the illegal skimming of taxi customers’ credit cards.

Last week, on Tuesday 1 July 2014, investigators arrested four men at a motel in Chullora.

After arresting the men, detectives executed two search warrants: one inside a room within the Chullora motel; the other at a unit in Sussex Street, Sydney.

Inside the motel room in Chullora, police located approximately 800 blank fraudulent credit cards, a card encoder, a laptop computer and cabling, believed to have been used to facilitate the download of skimmed credit card data onto the computer.

At the unit in Sydney, police located and seized two computers, mobile telephones, and financial and identification documents.

All four men – a 28-year-old from Sydney, a 28-year-old from Potts Point, a 24-year-old from Rockdale and a 56-year-old from Greenacre – were all taken to Bankstown Police Station.

The Sydney man was subsequently charged with:

– Deal in identification information;

– Possess equipment for the manufacture of identification documents; and,

– Direct the activities of a criminal group.

The Potts Point man was charged with:

– Deal in identification information;

– Possess equipment for the manufacture of identification documents; and,

– Participate in criminal group.

The Rockdale man was charged with:

– Deal in identification information;

– Possess equipment for the manufacture of identification documents; and,

– Participate in criminal group.

All three were refused police bail and appeared in Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday 2 July 2014, where they were subsequently granted conditional bail to appear in Burwood Local Court on 14 July 2014.

The Greenacre man was released, however police do expect to interview him again as part of ongoing inquiries.

A fifth man – a 29-year-old from Moorebank – was arrested by police at Cabramatta Police Station shortly after 2.30pm on Monday (7 July 2014), before being charged with:

– Deal in identification information;

– Possess equipment for the manufacture of identification documents; and,

– Participate in criminal group.

He was granted conditional bail to appear in Burwood Local Court on 21 July 2014.

In court detectives will allege that all four men were members of a well organised and sophisticated credit card skimming syndicate. Detectives will contend that the syndicate obtained credit card details from a variety of sources, including the use of skimming devices in taxis.

The skimmed information was allegedly used to manufacture fraudulent credit cards, which were then used to make ATM withdrawals and purchases.

Detectives will allege that the cards seized from the motel room in Chullora had the potential to fraudulently obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, products and services.

The Acting Commander of the Fraud and Cybercrime Squad, Detective Acting Superintendent John Watson, said any taxi drivers or customers who have information concerning the use of skimming devices in taxis should contact Crime Stoppers.

“If you are a driver and you were approached by people asking you to use a skimming device, or you are aware of other taxi drivers using these devices, please do the right thing and contact Crime Stoppers,” Detective Acting Superintendent Watson said.

“Please remember, you can provide information anonymously. We don’t need to know who you are; all we need is the information you have to hand.”

Detective Acting Superintendent Watson added that people need to remember that any location where a credit or debit card is swiped presents a skimming risk.

“People need to be alert every time they use their credit or debit card,” Detective Superintendent Watson said.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re withdrawing money at an ATM, paying for a meal at a restaurant or settling a fare in a taxi, never let your card out of your sight.

“Importantly, please keep a regular eye on your bank statements. Some skimming devices look exactly like legitimate payment terminals, allowing criminals to skim a card’s details right under the cardholder’s nose.

“By keeping a regular eye on your bank account you will spot suspicious withdrawals early and can contact your financial institution before more money goes missing.”