GREENFIELD, Ind. -- Two men were arrested after police found a card skimmer and over two dozen credit cards during a traffic stop in Greenfield early Monday morning.
It started as a traffic stop for speeding and erratic driving on N. State Street just before 1 a.m.
Stephane Antwi, 26, was driving the vehicle and Khaliek Owens, 26, was the passenger, according to the police report.
During a search of the vehicle, Police found a laptop hooked up to a credit card skimmer, 28 credit cards and several cartons of cigarettes. All of the credit cards found were listed under two names.
Police also found a driver’s license that had a photo of one of the men but a different name.
Greenfield Police Chief Jeff Rasche said the device they found is similar to one that hotels use to copy room keys.
“This is a read-only device where it’s going to read the data that’s on each and every one of these credit cards,” said Chief Rasche. “The criminal element is when they can store that information; they can re-load it on a blank card.”
While they are still in the early stages of their investigation, Chief Rasche said it is rare that you come across someone with that type of device that isn’t involved in some sort of crime.
“It’s widely known by law enforcement that usually when individuals are carrying these types of credit cards and that volume of them, they’re probably involved in some type of criminal activity,” said Chief Rasche.
Investigators are now trying to track down the actual owners of the credit cards they found and figure out how they were obtained.
“Oftentimes this is just scratching the surface with these people,” said Chief Rasche. “They’re very good at what they do; obviously, they make a lot of money.”
Both men are facing multiple charges from the traffic stop and unlawful possession of a card-skimming device.
Police offer the following tips to keep you from becoming a victim of credit card skimming:
- Use Cash when you can
- Report any unusual/suspicious activity near gas pumps/card reading devices
- When using your card at the gas pump, use the pump closest to the building
- Diligently check your credit card statement each month for fraudulent charges. Criminals often use stolen credit card numbers to make small purchases ensuring it will work before racking up large amounts of money.
RELATED | Thief skims prosecutor’s office credit card, buys thousands in merchandise | Indiana State Police Troopers fall victim to credit card skimmer at central Indiana gas station | Two truck drivers arrested after Troopers find $400K in drugs during routine stop
