OKLAHOMA CITY – A multicounty grand jury has indicted one Oklahoman and three men from Florida for allegedly operating skimming devices in central Oklahoma that fleeced trucking companies and gasoline consumers out of thousands of dollars.
The grand jury issued indictments against Reidel Valdes Montero, Jael Diaz-Morejon, Sergio Burrola Moreno and Jose Carlos Rizo, the office of Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a release.
Authorities caught Diaz-Morejon in possession of skimming devices and other materials used for installing and reading skimming devices, which are used at gas pumps to read and copy credit card information, the release states.
In addition to capturing credit card data on skimmers, criminals often install small cameras to record information that consumers punch into gas pump keypads. Credit card information is then used to create cloned or counterfeit cards that can be used to make fraudulent purchases.
“Unfortunately, criminals can find it all too easy to capture credit card information from consumers. That information can then be used to make other purchases or even empty a consumer’s bank account Drummond said. “It’s important for consumers to be aware when filling up at the pump and to keep a close watch on your credit card transactions to make sure you don’t fall victim to these schemes.”
Montero, Burrola and Rizo were caught using fraudulent cards at diesel gas pumps to fuel their trucks repeatedly over the course of several months.
Assistant Attorney General Ricky Lutz said credit card skimming at gasoline pumps is a nationwide problem, but that Oklahoma has become a ripe target due to the heavy amount of trucking traffic through the state’s interstate system. During the investigation, skimming devices were found at gas stations in Oklahoma City, Choctaw, Newcastle, El Reno and Seminole County.
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