Fairfax County police arrested two men involved in what they describe as a “major credit card fraud ring" affecting more than 90 victims after 35 stolen or cloned cards were found in a disabled vehicle.
Several stolen and duplicated cards were found during a routine traffic stop, according to police, but further investigation linked the cards to a string of package thefts. After two men were arrested for fraud, police said numerous credit card readers and credit card encoders were found in the suspects’ homes.
During a routine traffic incident in Springfield, Virginia, on March 14, officers spotted drug paraphernalia in the disabled vehicle, according to police. The officers searched the vehicle and found several identification cards, credit cards and gift cards in the vehicle.
The driver, Khaled Morsy, 27, of Fairfax, was arrested at the scene on drug charges. As Financial Crimes Unit detectives began investigating the cards, police said they discovered the cards were linked to several cases of credit card fraud, forgery and theft.
Fifty-four cards were found in the vehicle, and 35 of those cards were stolen or cloned, police said.
Several of those cards were later linked to stolen FedEx and UPS packages, police said. Police believe those packages were stolen to commit fraud and identity theft.
Detectives identified a second suspect and found many more victims in the Northern Virginia area, police said. Police said the investigation was complicated, but they were able to link several cases of credit card fraud, forgery and theft.
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Morsy was arrested again on April 29 and charged with eight counts of credit card theft.
The second suspect, Brian Bogan, 27, of Alexandria, was arrested and charged with one count of credit card theft.
After the arrest, police searched Bogan’s and Morsy’s residences. They found methamphetamine, several credit card readers and credit card encoders. More than 90 people may have been victimized by the duo.
If you are concerned about protecting yourself from identity theft, check out this story from NBC Washington.
