Card Cloner was Regular on Casino Poker Circuit, Authorities Claim

A Bulgarian national embroiled in a debit card cloning scheme was a familiar face on the live poker circuit.

Acklando Mykhaylo was arrested April 15 in Mumbai, India after attempting to withdraw money from another individual’s account for whom he is alleged to have duplicated a debit card.  The practice is also known as “skimming” whereby individuals utilize handheld devices to copy credit and/or debit cards.

Officers at Cyber police station investigating the case said there have been indications since Mr. Mykhaylo’s arrest that he had a high standard of living, and made almost all payments in cash.

“Mr. Mykhaylo was a regular poker player in Goa casinos, and has made several trips to that State since July last year. Inquiries are on to find out more about his connections in the gambling circuit,” an officer with Cyber police station said.

Mykhaylo’s name does not appear within the Hendon Mob database of circuit players.  It was not immediately clear if his play had been limited to India, where poker has become extremely popular in recent years.

An officer said, “It is not uncommon among criminals to spend the proceeds of crime in places like casinos, as it helps to launder the stolen money. Mr. Mykhaylo would collect his winnings from poker in currency notes bearing of different serial numbers, making it hard for investigating agencies to follow the money trail. Most casinos now have a system to keep track of the money coming in, but it still makes the investigation harder.”