Man arrested on ATM card skimming charges
Doru Marius Parvu, age 46, a Romanian national, arrested earlier this month
– Over the past several months, multiple cities in San Luis Obispo County have been targeted by skimmer devices at bank ATM locations. In response, a task force of local law enforcement agencies has been proactively conducting surveillance operations at multiple affected locations. On Thursday, Dec. 7, investigators from the San Luis Obispo Police Department located a skimmer that had been placed on the ATM at the Bank of America ATM at 1102 Higuera Street in San Luis Obispo. At 6:45 a.m., a male subject was observed actively removing the skimmer device to retrieve the harvested digital information. Doru Marius Parvu, age 46, a Romanian national, was contacted and arrested.
This successful operation that led to the arrest was made possible through the ongoing cooperation between the San Luis Obispo Police Department, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, the City of Atascadero Police Department, the City of Grover Beach Police Department, and other local, state, and federal agencies. To combat this type of organized crime, agencies actively communicate suspect information, images, and other investigatory information. This cooperation enables law enforcement agencies to be more successful in tying these organized criminal groups to multiple jurisdictional locations.
What is a skimmer? And how can you protect yourself?
A skimmer is a device installed on various card readers that collects card numbers. Thieves will later recover the device and use the information to make fraudulent purchases or withdraw money. Skimming devices are often installed directly over, or inside ATMs, fuel pumps, or point-of-sale systems. There will often be a covert camera that is affixed above the device to capture your PIN code. A quick visual scan before use can minimize your chances of having your information compromised.
It’s advisable to use the ‘tap’ option or use chip technology to minimize your chances of being victimized. The San Luis Obispo Police Department reminds the public to report any suspicious device that they may come across to their local law enforcement agency.
Doru Marius Parvu, currently being held at the San Luis Obispo County Jail for the charges listed below. Bail was originally set at $200,000 but later changed to no bail.
- Identity theft, felony
- Burglary, misdemeanor (three counts)
- Possession of a scanning device, misdemeanor
