ATM card-skimmer jailed for two years

A man’s who installed several card-skimming devices on ATM’s across the island has earned himself a stay at the Corradino prisons.

32 year-old Stoyan Gerginov Oryashkov from Bulgaria appeared in the dock before magistrate Joe Mifsud this morning, having been caught by police after CCTV footage showed him installed 3 card-skimming devices on ATMs in Paceville.

Inspector Matthew Vella charged the man with possession of objects used for fraud, computer misuse, unauthorised copying of personal data, possession of means to access computer data in an unauthorised manner, conspiracy to commit a crime and attempted fraud.

Card skimmers are illegal devices installed by criminals in ATM card input slots to read and copy data and PIN numbers from users withdrawing money from the machine.

The information is then used to clone the cards and make unauthorised withdrawals or is sold on the black market.

The defendant had been identified after police put together a picture that emerged from a number of pieces of footage from ATM CCTV cameras. He was arrested on Wednesday.

In court this morning, Oryashkov pleaded guilty to the charges.

In view of the man’s early admission and cooperation with the police, he was jailed for two years.

Lawyer Victor Bugeja appeared as legal aid for the defendant.