*2 Bulgarians Sentenced for ATM Fraud Scheme in US

Skimming credit card data and PINs is one of the fastest-growing scams in the US and a number of Bulgarians have been implicated in this crime. File photo

The Republic

A federal judge has sentenced two Bulgarian men to lengthy prison terms for their role in a sophisticated ATM skimming scam in eastern Massachusetts in which they stole more than 5,000 from bank customers.

Ivaylo Hristov of Toronto, Canada, and Vladislav Vladev from the Bulgarian capital of Sofia pleaded guilty earlier this year to using counterfeit ATM cards, bank fraud, identity theft and other charges.

Twenty-nine-year-old Hristov was sentenced Friday to more than five years in prison. Thirty-seven-year-old Vladev was sentenced to more than six years.

Both men were also ordered to repay more than 5,000 they stole from Citizens Bank and Bank of America customers in nearly two months, beginning in December 2009.

A third suspect, 41-year-old Anton Venkov, is awaiting sentencing on similar charges.

*The title was modified by Novinite.com

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