A man who handled skimming devices designed to covertly steal bank card details at West Hampstead Tube station has been jailed for 16 months.
Petru Cercel, 34, was part of a large group operating throughout the capital who used card-skimming devices and pinhole cameras attached to Tube ticket machines to obtain bank card details, including PIN numbers.
Cercel, who lives in Birmingham, did not fit the devices but pleaded guilty to possessing an article for use in fraud at West Hampstead London Underground station on April 2 and 3.
Speaking after the sentencing at Blackfriars Crown Court, investigating officer PC Mark Pink said: “The prison sentence handed down to Petru Cercel shows just how seriously card fraud is treated by British Transport Police and the courts.
“In this case, a green card reader was placed over the original reader to record passengers’ card details, while a pinhole camera was fitted above the keypad to capture the victim’s PIN number.”
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