 |
|
|
 Business News | June 2007 
Police Arrest Five Men Tied to Fake Credit Card Ring from Mexico
 Andres R. Martinez - themonitor.com
| | The Secret Service, which is responsible for investigating certain financial crimes, has been investigating the Veracruz-based ring since at least March. |
McAllen, TX — Police arrested five Mexican citizens this week believed to be part of a fairly sophisticated counterfeiting ring from Veracruz using fake credit cards with real account numbers to make thousands of dollars of purchases all over the Rio Grande Valley.
“It seems to be a growing problem,” said Mark Lacey, head of McAllen’s Secret Service office. “It’s something we are working closely on with local officials.”
McAllen police arrested the five men making purchases at the Lowe’s home improvement store on the corner of North 10th Street and Dove Avenue on Thursday. These five bring to 11 the total number of people arrested in the Valley and believed to be linked to the Veracruz ring.
Lacey would not disclose the names of those arrested, explaining that charges have not been formally filed against them.
McAllen police also recovered 50 credit cards and low-quality fake IDs with names that matched the credit cards.
The cards had real, active credit card numbers embossed on them, Lacey said. The magnetic strips were not activated and the logo of real Mexican banks appeared on many of the cards, he said. Whoever made the cards tried to replicate the hologram on credit cards but was not successful, Lacey said.
The Secret Service, which is responsible for investigating certain financial crimes, has been investigating the Veracruz-based ring since at least March. That month, Secret Service agents and Pharr police arrested six other men suspected of making purchases with counterfeit Visas and MasterCards.
The men were making large purchases and then selling the items in the Valley and back in Mexico.
Lacey says the real credit card numbers were probably obtained from trash, stolen receipts and credit card bills, and unscrupulous Internet companies.
Some of those arrested are to be arraigned in federal court. The rest, mostly those believed to be lower-ranking members of the ring, will be prosecuted in state district court, Lacey said.
The Secret Service is working with credit card companies associated with the valid account numbers to notify victims of the alleged fraud, Lacey said.
Andres R. Martinez can be reached at (956) 683-4434. For this and more local stories, visit www.themonitor.com. |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us