NYC, Istanbul Police Bust Latest Bulgarian-bred ATM Scams

US and Turkey police arrested a total of 4 Bulgarians, accused of committing ATM skimming by copying bank card numbers. File photo

Two Bulgarian brothers have been charged with scamming more than USD 1 M by installing electronic skimmers and hidden cameras on Chase and Citibank ATMs.

The news was reported by the New York Post, citing the Manhattan US Attorney's Office reporting Radostin and Ulian Paralingov used information gleaned from the devices to create duplicate bank cards and crack PIN codes.

Radostin Paralingov, 19, was nabbed by the FBI in Las Vegas on Monday while Ulian Paralingov, 27, remains at large, according to the article.

Meanwhile, Turkish media also report on the arrest of two Bulgarian nationals, suspected in ATM fraud.

The Istanbul police has identified the two as Petko Stefanov, 36, and Vladimir Dimitrov, 33. They made the arrest after receiving a tip from employees servicing an ATM in the Fatih district, who discovered a device for bank card copying.

The two were caught on security camera while installing the device. They have copied about 100 cards, but were arrested during their attempt to remove the device.

Police seized two credit cards, two cell phones and 8 USB flashes.

The probe revealed the two arrived in Turkey on September 21, in a private car.

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