Card-Skimming Scammers

LASD Detectives on High-Tech Taskforce 

Net Two Card-Skimming Scammers

The Southern California High Tech Task Force (SCHTTF) is a collaborative effort of local, county state, and federal law enforcement agencies working in unison to combat high tech crime involving the internet, intellectual property, computer equipment, emerging technologies, theft of identity information and numerous other high tech crimes. The SCHTTF includes members of both federal and local law enforcement agencies throughout Los Angeles County working jointly to combat cyber crimes and fraud. 

On Sunday, December 15, 2013, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department assigned to the SCHTTF, worked with United States Secret Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel, and arrested two suspects involved in installing card-skimming devices in banks in affluent areas located in the southern part of the San Fernando Valley. 

The investigation began in September, 2012, when detectives working in a joint investigation with two banking entities became alerted to skimming devices being installed at banks in Sherman Oaks and Encino. 

Working off leads provided by bank investors, taskforce investigators developed information which led to both suspects being arrested. Their vehicle was stopped Sunday morning, December 15, 2013, by undercover law enforcement officers, on the Ventura Boulevard on-ramp to the Interstate 405 Freeway, in Encino. Both suspects were booked at the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station. 

Search warrants were served at both suspects’ homes later the same day. Evidence indicating the suspects were involved in the criminal act of installing skimming devices on ATMs was recovered. 

Multiple felony counts of Identity Theft were filed against the two men, Georgi Nikolov, 32, of North Hollywood, and Dimitar Dimitrov, 36, of Santa Monica, with the High Tech Crimes Division of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Nikolov and Dimitrov are both being held in the Los Angeles County jail system, in lieu of $70,000 bail. 

The Southern California High Tech Task Force includes members of both federal and local law enforcement agencies throughout Los Angeles County working jointly to combat cyber crimes and fraud.