Irvine police arrested two San Francisco men Saturday on suspicion of watching people using ATM machines then stealing their PINs and money.
On Oct. 3, Irvine police were called by the manager of a Bank of America on Jamboree Road who reported two suspicious men at the bank, said Farrah Emami of the Irvine Police Department.
The manager said he saw the two men watch over the shoulders of ATM users. They were later identified as 36-year-old Cleo Charles Nash and 28-year-old Jahmal Theodis Winston.
“When the customers walked away without closing their session, the suspects would use the stolen PIN and make a withdrawal on user’s open account,” Emami said Tuesday. “This criminal conduct is known as ‘shoulder surfing.’”
After the call, someone reported that $200 had been taken from their bank account after using the same bank’s ATM.
Irvine police began an investigation, and while they were taking a report from the Bank of America, they received a call from a witness claiming the same suspicious activity was going on at a Bank of America on Culver Drive.
The witness gave police descriptions of the suspects, which matched the ones from the first call, and told the officers what car they were driving and its license plate number.
A patrol officer saw the car driving on Irvine Center Drive near the 405 freeway and stopped it. Nash and Winston were arrested after police found them with a large amount of cash.
Both are being held on $100,000 bail on suspicion of felony and misdemeanor theft charges. Both are scheduled to appear in court Oct. 14.
Investigators believe the duo are part of a larger theft ring that may be responsible for similar crimes in Orange and Los Angles counties, Emami said.
Irvine police suggest ATM users cover the keypad when entering a PIN and always end the session when a transaction is finished.
Anyone with information about the incidents or who believes they have been a victim is asked to call Irvine Police Department Det. Melissa Partida at 949-724-7180.
Contact the writer: afausto@ocregister.com
