BELLINGHAM, Wash.–A man here has been charged with 271 fraudulent transactions against members of one credit union using information captured by a skimmer.
Luis Lores-Acosta, 21, of Portland, Ore., has been charged with using account information from members of Whatcom Educational Credit Union captured in July of 2018 at a gas station.
Lores-Acosta has been charged with two counts of first-degree identity theft, two counts of second-degree identity theft and one count of first-degree theft.
According a statement filed in Whatcom County Superior Court Feb. 22, Lores-Acosta’s fraudulent transactions were made on four WECU accounts and totaled $8,712.98, the Bellingham Herald reported.
According to police, investigators were first notified by WECU of the potentially fraudulent activity on Sept. 6, 2018 after the credit union received multiple reports of irregular activity to WECU accounts over the Labor Day weekend, court records state.
Detectives were given four bank card numbers linked to accounts that appeared to be compromised, along with five dates, times and locations where fraudulent activity was believed to have taken place, the Bellingham Herald reported.
Surveillance Video
Police said a surveillance camera at Winco Foods captured a still image and video surveillance of a man in his 20s with a thin build, a Mohawk haircut and ponytail, later identified as Lores-Acosta, walking directly to an ATM in the front of the store and remaining there for more than 15 minutes. Transaction data from the ATM machine reportedly showed there were 17 transactions made during the time Lores-Acosta was at the machine, the publication reported.
Video footage was also captured at other locations.