Two men alleged to have stolen debit cards and withdrawn thousands of dollars from more than a dozen people across San Diego County were arrested Tuesday, sheriff’s officials said.
The two suspects, a 40-year-old man and a 31-year-old man, were both arrested after Lemon Grove deputies received a series of reports regarding theft and fraud at local Wells Fargo Bank branches and ATMs in May.
Investigators learned the men would approach people making routine bank transactions and distract them by asking if they could help the victim or by other means to pull their attention away from their debit cards in the ATM.
While the victims weren’t looking, the men then switched out the person’s card with one that wasn’t theirs, investigators said. The men then went and made a series of withdrawals using the debit card before the owner could replace it.
According to deputies, at least five people were stolen from in Lemon Grove.
“Documented losses range from $100 to more than $2,700 per case,” said sheriff’s Lt. Patrick Fox in a news release. “Based on confirmed withdrawals, the known dollar amount stolen from Lemon Grove victims is approximately $5,990 so far.”
During their investigation, deputies found that at least 15 similar types of thefts had occurred in various parts of the county and were being investigated by police departments in San Diego, Chula Vista and Carlsbad. Another 15 cases in Orange and Los Angeles counties were reported by Wells Fargo.
Investigators said they identified the two men as Los Angeles County residents and used automated license plate readers to track them down. Investigators also staked out bank branches with the help of the San Diego Fugitive Task Force.
One of the men allegedly committed another scam in Lemon Grove on Tuesday, and investigators were able to surveil him sheriff’s officials said. They eventually found the second suspect, and both were taken into custody on suspicion of robbery and identity theft.
The younger man was also booked on suspicion of conspiracy, while the other was additionally booked on suspicion of elder fraud and resisting a peace officer.