Suspected Sunnyvale Identity Thieves Caught Installing Gas Pump Skimmers
SUNNYVALE (CBS SF) -- Two suspects were in custody Friday after they were arrested while allegedly installing an illegal credit card reader into a gas pump at a Sunnyvale service station, authorities said.
Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety officials said the incident took place just after midnight at the World Gas Station on West Maude Ave.
Officers arrived on scene within two minutes, locating the two suspects who were detained. It was determined the two suspects were tampering with the gas pump and applying electronic skimming equipment.
The suspects were arrested and have been identified as 27-year-old Artashes Gasparyan and 32-year-old Richard Matthew Hernandez.
They were transported to the Santa Clara County jail and being held on conspiracy, possession of burglary tools, unauthorized computer access and possession of a skimming device charges.
Anyone with additional information related to these suspects or their activities can contact the Sunnyvale DPS Investigations Unit at (408)730-7101.
In an unrelated case Thursday, a Sonoma County sheriff's deputy found five credit card skimmers at the pumps of two gas stations north of the City of Sonoma.
The data gathering devices were found at the Valero gas station at 18605 state Highway 12 and across the street at the Beacon gas station at 18618 Highway 12.
Sheriff's investigators were processing the five skimmers.
Two other skimming devices were removed before the five devices were reported by the gas station operators, and the skimmers might have been in place and operating since Oct. 5, the sheriff's office said.
Thieves install the skimmers in the credit card terminal of a gas pump. The skimmers read and save credit and debit card information that is used to make fraudulent transactions.
The sheriff's office advises customers who used their cards at the two stations to cancel the cards and monitor their credit card statements and banking records for fraudulent activity since Oct. 5.
