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California ID thief skims ATM users' credit cards

Aug 04, 2011 Brian Bradley

California ID thief skims ATM users' credit cards
A San Diego man recently pleaded not guilty to 45 charges - including grand theft, burglary and identity theft - after allegedly installing cameras and a debit card-skimming device at a local Chase Bank branch to capture the information of nearly 1,000 card users.
 Daniel Axinte reportedly obtained reconfigured debit cards which he used to pass standard identity verification procedures and withdraw money from the victims' accounts. He is thought to have misappropriated at least $200,000 in funds. "This brazen crime is a twist on debit card skimming, perpetrated by an ID thief who wasn't afraid to repeat his crime over and over at the same location," said District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, as quoted by KGTV. "Bank customers had no idea their personal information was being compromised." Investigators apprehended Axinte after reviewing surveillance footage and determining that he had installed the devices at the branch on six consecutive weekends. Axinte has a previous felony conviction from 2008 for attempting to break into an ATM in the Los Angeles area, according to SignOnSanDiego.