Dennis Nguyen Sentenced

A Canadian man has been sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a debit card skimming ring that stole thousands of dollars from unsuspecting victims. DENNIS NGUYEN, of Vancouver, B.C. Canada, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Marsha J. Pechman on October 4, 2013, for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, NGUYEN was arrested in February 2013, after he traveled to Seattle to meet with some of the conspirators he used to make cash withdrawals using the stolen debit card numbers. The investigation revealed that the numbers had been stolen using “skimming” devices surreptitiously attached to point of sale machines in coffee shops in Vancouver, BC.

The investigation revealed that NGUYEN directed various co-conspirators who would take the debit cards he manufactured with the stolen information and conduct rapid cash withdrawals from customer accounts at various ATMs in and around Seattle and Everett. When two of the co-conspirators were arrested, law enforcement seized a bag containing $77,140 in cash, 460 counterfeit cards, seven burner cell phones, a cash counting machine, a magnetic card strip encoder, a label printer, and miscellaneous supplies associated with the mass card skimming operation.

When NGUYEN was arrested, his laptop computer, which he brought from British Columbia, contained over 2,600 bank card numbers linked to approximately 100 different financial institutions, both foreign and American. Of those card numbers, approximately 463 were connected to fraudulent cards previously recovered in the case.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven Masada. The sentence handed down to NGUYEN is a significant victory for law enforcement and a warning to those who would engage in this type of criminal activity.

The debit card skimming ring led by NGUYEN is just one example of the growing problem of identity theft and financial fraud. As technology continues to evolve, criminals are finding new and sophisticated ways to steal sensitive information and use it for their own gain. The sentence handed down to NGUYEN serves as a reminder that law enforcement is committed to combating these types of crimes and bringing those responsible to justice.

In addition to the sentence, the case highlights the importance of vigilance and cooperation between law enforcement agencies and financial institutions. By working together, they can identify and disrupt these types of schemes, and bring those responsible to justice. The public can also play a role in preventing these types of crimes by being mindful of their surroundings when using ATMs and reporting any suspicious activity to the authorities.