Man arrested in Var for theft and fraudulent use of bank cards

After several weeks of investigations, police officers from La Seyne-sur-Mer arrested a man suspected of aggravated theft and fraudulent use of bank cards. He was brought before a court for an immediate appearance.

A scam that reached €40,000 in a few weeks. A man born in 1994 was arrested on August 27 in Valletta, BFM Toulon Var learned from a police source. He is suspected of having committed several bank card thefts, in order to use them for personal purposes.

A complaint had been filed at the police station in La Seyne-sur-Mer for theft and use of a bank card. A preliminary investigation had been opened.

In order to steal these cards, the suspect is accused of having scammed several elderly people by approaching them in the parking lots of large stores. “Pretending not to speak French properly”, he asked the victims for help in calling the assistance service for his vehicle, which was supposedly broken down.

Suspect identified thanks to his accomplice

On the phone, “the alleged telephone operator then asked the victim to insert his bank card into a gas bottle dispenser or electric vehicle charging station. The bank card was swallowed and then recovered by the accused,” the police explained.

An accomplice of the suspect was first identified. By checking her entourage, the police discovered that she was married to an individual “unfavorably known to the services for acts of theft and fraudulent use of means of payment”. Several victims recognized this man in photos presented by the police.

Arrested at the end of August

The suspect regularly changed his address and telephone number, making the task difficult for investigators. By monitoring his accomplice, they were finally able to locate him in a hotel in Valletta, where he was arrested on August 27.

According to the police, the suspect admitted the facts when presenting “overwhelming evidence”. During searches carried out at his home and in his hotel room, the police discovered clothes and objects purchased with the stolen bank cards. The man was brought before a court for an immediate appearance while his accomplice was the subject of “a separate investigation”.

After cross-checking several testimonies, the police were able to calculate the damage total around €40,000.