Man built devices to skim gas station customers’ cards in $620,000 scheme, feds say

A man built electronic devices that were secretly installed at dozens of gas stations to skim customers’ credit and debit card information, according to federal prosecutors.

Robert Fichidzhyan, 40, of Los Angeles was sentenced on Jan. 9 to more than three years in prison, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Southern California.

Fichidzhyan built devices, called “skimmers,” that were used to steal customers’ financial information during transactions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. His accomplices broke into gas pumps around Southern California and installed the devices. Seven other defendants are charged in the conspiracy, according to the release.

Once Fichidzhyan and his co-conspirators got the financial information, which included electronic serial numbers, personal identification numbers and other types of bank and account information, they would create “unauthorized access devices” that could be used to withdraw cash or make purchases from their victims’ accounts, according to an indictment.

The conspiracy began on an unknown date, but no later than Feb. 27, 2017, and ran until at least Sept. 9, 2021, according to court documents .

Fichidzhyan’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

Altogether, Fichidzhyan and his co-conspirators stole at least $619,923 during the time period he was involved, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Fichidzhyan said he received $249,890 personally from the scheme, the release says.

He was ordered to forfeit that sum and help his co-defendants to pay the entire $619,923 back to victims in restitution, according to the release.

Fichidzhyan was charged with conspiracy to use unauthorized access devices and possess device-making equipment, the release says. He was sentenced to 41 months in prison.

This story was originally published January 10, 2023 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Man built devices to skim gas station customers’ cards in $620,000 scheme, feds say."