Two Accused of Skimming Account Numbers From Chevy Chase ATMs

Maryland man pleads guilty in high-tech scam

A Maryland man has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $200,000 by using a device to skim bank account numbers from automated teller machine users.

Vitalijs Balsevics, 26, of Hyattsville, was one of two men accused in the conspiracy, according to documents filed in Alexandria federal court. Konstantin Sintsev, 24, also of Hyattsville, was charged but hasn't entered a plea.

The men targeted Chevy Chase Bank branches in Maryland and Virginia, according to investigators. They would plant a skimming device on the ATMs to read the magnetic strips of debit cards and gather account information, investigators said. A second device would record the user's personal identification number, according to investigators.

The men took as much as $8,600 from each of more than 77 accounts, according to authorities.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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