Two men have been reported to the police for cloning cards using skimmers at ticket machines at Venice Santa Lucia station
The police uncovered and seized illegal devices installed to steal payment card details, identifying those responsible through CCTV footage and targeted searches.
Two men have been reported to the police for installing a number of illegal “skimmers” to clone the identification and security details of payment cards at Trenitalia ticket machines at Venice Santa Lucia station.
The investigation began following a report of irregularities detected on the contactless reader, which had small holes in it. Railway police officers then confirmed that the device had indeed been tampered with and, together with the postal police, carried out a technical inspection of the ticket machines in question, discovering data-cloning devices inside them. These were seized and handed over to the judicial authorities for further technical and scientific analysis.
The alleged perpetrators, both Romanian nationals, were identified following an analysis of CCTV footage, and it emerged that they arrived in Italia at the end of June, landing at Bologna Airport.
Investigators identified the accommodation where the two men were staying and tracked them down there the day before they left the country. Following a search of the room, the police found and seized various items used for tampering of electronic payment terminals, including mobile phones, SIM cards, power batteries, cables for electrical connections and data transmission, as well as various types of tools.
