PHOENIX – Six people were arrested last week and charged with stealing information from TruWest CU cardholders and making hundreds of fraudulent transactions throughout Maricopa County.
The suspects, dubbed by Tempe Police as the “Poison Ivy Fraud Ring,” allegedly stole financial information from TruWest members by attaching skimming devices on ATMs to collect PINs and make fake debit cards.
One suspect was seen on surveillance video installing the skimming devices. Authorities say some of the other suspects were seen making multiple illegal withdrawals from ATMs throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area. A search of one suspect’s house uncovered incriminating notes, forgery devices, computers and a machine used to re-encode credit card numbers.
The skimming devices, believed to be manufactured in Bulgaria, were capable of detecting financial data and PINs from the cards of people using ATMs, police said. This information was rerouted to computers belonging to criminals involved in the fraud ring.
Prosecutors say the scheme cost credit union members and local banks up to $300,000. A cut of the funds was sent to Bulgaria by the defendants over various dates through illegal wire transfers, according to police.
The six are facing multiple felony charges including fraud, identity theft, computer tampering and money laundering.
