6 card ring members face raps

CEBU, Philippines - Six members of a syndicate specializing in credit card fraud are now facing charges after they were arrested for using fake credit cards along Escario St., Barangay Kamputhaw, Cebu City, last Wednesday.

Gelatio Baustista, 40, from Marcelo Greenville, Parañaque; Bernardo Castelo, 32, from Fernandez St., Quezon City; Teodolfo Gayas III, 39, from Parija Suba, Butuan City; James Rodriquez, 35, from G. Plaza, San Juan, Metro Manila; Ma. Roxanne Torlao, 21, from Taguig, Metro Manila; and Anthony Jarlo Lee, 21, from Resheiko St., Sto Cristo Tulilan, Bulacan are facing violation of Republic Act 6085 otherwise known as the Anti-Alias Law.

Prosecutor Liceria Rabillas who did the inquest proceedings on the accused told the reporters that only Castelo waived his right to detention and is set to execute his counter-affidavit to the additional charges filed against him for illegal possession of drugs.

Rabillas further said that the six will be facing charges for violation of Republic Act No. 8484, otherwise known as the Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998.

Section 9 of RA 8484 prohibits “possessing one or more counterfeit access devices or access devices fraudulently applied for; inducing, enticing, permitting or in any manner allowing another, for consideration or otherwise to produce, use, traffic in counterfeit access devices, unauthorized access devices or access devices fraudulently applied for”.

The lawyer of the six accused, Daniel Francis Arguedo, said that all of the accused will post bail tomorrow.

City police director Sr. Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe said they have been monitoring the group after receiving complaints from bank employees and establishment owners about a group of people using fake cards.

According to the police credit card skimmers or skim artists usually recruit accomplices where they work in places such as restaurants, hotels and retail businesses.

They would then give their accomplices an illegal electronic device known as a skimmer that can capture all of the personal information from a credit card or debit card of a victim.

The card of an unsuspecting victim will be swiped secretly on the skimmer and after a few seconds, the device has captured the card holder’s name, address, telephone number, card number, credit limit and PIN number.

The data can then be used to make a counterfeit card.

Recovered from the six accused were at least 20 assorted credit and debit cards, assorted identification cards, a skimmer device, a pack of suspected shabu and other paraphernalia believed to have been used for their operations.   (FREEMAN NEWS)