Failed ATM scammers jailed for 16 months
(CNS): The vulnerability of the Cayman Islands and the need to deter scammers from targeting the jurisdiction saw two men received a 16-month jail term Thursday for trying to steal from bank ATMs with cloned cards, even though the pair failed to get any cash. Adam Mokdad and Hakim Benamara, both from Canada, were sentenced following guilty pleas on one count each of conspiracy to defraud. The sentencing judge said the bank didn’t suffer any loss but if the men not been arrested, given the cards and equipment found in their possession, they could have stolen thousands of dollars.
Justice Tim Owen described this as another case of foreign nationals coming to the Cayman Islands specifically to defraud banks here because the local anti-fraud security measures are far from state-of-the-art, and until upgraded, the jurisdiction remains a vulnerable target.
The men were caught in February after five gift cards were retained by the ATM at Butterfield Bank, where the men had tried to used cloned cards from credit card accounts belonging to victims in Australia. After viewing the CCTV evidence that showed the men trying to take out money, the police tracked the suspects to Sunset House, where they were “caught red handed in the credit card scam”, the judge said, as police found the laptop, card readers and dozens more gift cards with cloned information.
The men admitted the conspiracy and were remanded in custody in April. The judge said the evidence showed the men, who have no previous convictions, had come to commit a crime on a more modest scale than other similar cases that have happened here in recent years.
Nevertheless, he said, it was a sophisticated, well-planned card fraud and, given the increasing prevalence of this crime, the judge said he needed to send a message. He said the men should get a two-year term, but with the 33% discount for their guilty pleas, they were given 16 months. He ordered that the equipment be seized and recommended the men should be deported after they have served their time.
The men have been in custody since the beginning of February and so have already served six months and will be eligible for release in just under four months.
More Canadians around here should be up with them.
Canadians again?!! Now I understand why it’s so difficult for me to trust them with their pompous attitude. Clearly, Cayman is too small for their over inflated egos. Now sit in HMP and kill mosquitos.
Well, it will make a change from all the Caymanians sitting there…
Da! they even want to outnumber “Native Caymanians” in prison. I guess the only places that Caymanians still have a majority are Dixie’s and SS grave yard.
Problem is there’s hardly any room left in Northward, it’s crammed with Caymanians.
Well duh, this is Cayman you effing idiot, whats the most abundant inmate in your shit puddle that you left to come here?
I wish I could remember the word that describes a bitter person, such as this poster, who assumes that an entire nation can be characterized as being all of the same negative stereotype based on observation of so few. Anyone?
Giving Canada a bad name, it’s the same in Britain, all the ATM scammers are of foreign origin (mainly Eastern Europe).
Canover will take them under his wing.
Hakim and Mokdad are typical Canadian names, just like Abdul and Aljabbar are Caymanian.
CanadianKind
Time the banks in Cayman started to listen, they are happy to screw us over with charges but come crying to the RCIPS FCU when they get scammed
Not nearly long enough sentence given the importance of our banking system.
I think you mean self importance. I have never heard more b*llocks than a certain bank boasting about being the best and failing to explain in any way shape or form how they can charge for things that never happen, on their own system…but that’s what they do. Their system fails to make a valid transaction, you still get to pay for it…and no answer as to why