Tijuana waiter busted cloning credit cards

A waiter at a restaurant in the popular and upscale Zona Rio business district was recently busted by TJ police when it was discovered he was cloning patrons’ credit cards.

The scam was discovered when the manager of the restaurant (unidentified in the Frontera coverage) was contacted by American Express and informed that his establishment was the suspected origin of a prolonged spate of card-cloning. The duplicated cards and personal user data were then allegedly used to make purchases, ATM cash advances and withdrawals, and to commit other financial crimes.

Upon further investigation by the municipal police and the manager, a “black box” device was found near the cash-register checkout area, said device being the tool used to clone the cards. A 39-year-old waiter reportedly admitted to being the owner of the device. The suspected culprit was turned over to the appropriate federal agency at the offices of the Procuraduría General de la República, where the investigation continues.

Sources at the same office of the PGR, located a block away from the restaurant’s location on the boulevard Paseo de los Héroes, said the professed owner of the cloning device was carrying a multitude of credit cards on him, none of which were in his name.