More Card Skimmers Discovered at LIRR Stations

More Card Skimmers Discovered at LIRR Stations

The LIRR reports that credit card skimmers and tiny hidden cameras were found during a routine inspection at Baldwin station on the Montauk Branch last week. Back in October, the LIRR discovered hidden cameras and card skimmers at Bayside, Great Neck, Merillon Avenue, and Greenvale stations. The same group of four Romanian nationals also planted hidden cameras and skimmers at Sea Cliff station on the Oyster Bay Branch, and MTA Police were able to apprehend two of the suspects a week later when they tried to retrieve the cameras and skimmers from the TVM's at Sea Cliff.

In the last two weeks in March, several of the bunch that planted the skimmers at the stations back in the fall pleaded guilty to conspiracy and larceny charges. It is unknown at this time weather or not the cameras discovered at Baldwin last week were linked to the original four culprits, or if it is part of a different scheme. Following the discovery back in the fall, MTA polcie checked every Ticket Vending Machine at LIRR stations for hidden cameras.

More information will become available in the coming days, but if you think you might've seen something suspicious at Baldwin, or any other LIRR station, you can contact the MTA Police at (718) 361-2247 or by calling 511 and saying "LIRR."

Posted on 4/07/2014 09:00:00 PM No Comments
See more posts about: Babylon Branch, Baldwin, Bayside, Crime, Great Neck, Greenvale, Merillon Avenue, News, Tickets and Fares

This is extremely interesting. I copied your post and sent it to my supervisor.
Romania these days is a country run by the mafia. A great deal of recent crime in England has been committed by Romanian immigrants.
I do simple maintenance on the TVMs at my station (Middletown, NJ) and will be looking for skimmers now.
I got a charge out of the LIRR Today site you link to. I briefly worked Valley tower in West Reading, PA, in 1982 (former Reading tower.) It wasn't as complex as the one in Valley Stream although that machine is about medium size. Looking at that old US&S interlocking machine gave me pleasure.

MTA police are looking for Romanian National Vasile Ovidiu Haidau in connection with the hidden devices planted at Baldwin: https://www.facebook.com/notes/mta-lirr ... 2584920448" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Now I know what Mr. Haidau looks like, (he looks a lot like me,) in case he comes to New Jersey. My station isn't as lucrative as, say, Great Neck, but you never know. I think that finding a device inside the credit/debit card slot is beyond my capability; but I'll take a look, from both sides of the door.
The TVM technicians must be aware of this.
I sent my boss your second post too, on the chance that she is not aware of this.

lirr42: A great service to folks to alert them to this. Nice work.

Folks here are the LIRR vending machines at Nostrand Ave:


You all be the judge.

[quote="nyandw"] Folks here are the LIRR vending machines at Nostrand Ave:

Now that's security!
This information was on the radio yesterday, 1010WINS, even with a statement by the person who runs the LIRR.

Yeah the machines at ENY and Nos Ave are highly secure from physical break in , however the enclosures provide zero protection from this scam . I won't elaborate further , the only way to 100 percent curtail this is cash only at the TVM . The LIRR will never do this as it is too costly . The consumer has to be smart , aware and let management know when something is suspicious

rdl1972 wrote:.....the enclosures provide zero protection from this scam.....

I was thinking the same thing.

nyandw wrote:lirr42: A great service to folks to alert them to this. Nice work.

Folks here are the LIRR vending machines at Nostrand Ave:


You all be the judge.

Everyone: The TVM "cages" at Nostrand Avenue and East New York is primarily to protect the machines from vandalism and as mentioned
this will not protect commuters from a skimming scam...I will second those observations...

MACTRAXX

Even then they're not good at protecting them from physical vandalism. Notice the daily ticket vending machine on the left in that photo is missing its red ticket/change slot cover.

Somebody used a hammer or a rock on a TVM screen at my station once. Maybe he figured the screen was not good anyway. When the sun shines directly on these NJT machines, the screens are nearly impossible to read.

philipmartin wrote:Somebody used a hammer or a rock on a TVM screen at my station once. Maybe he figured the screen was not good anyway.

You have to press mightily hard on those screens when it's cold out!

What the Hell? So let me get this straight, New Yorkers simply accept criminal vandalism as a way of life these days? If you catch somebody breaking ito one of these machines, you don't beat the living #%&@ out of him and teach him a lesson? Unbelievable. Nobody take responsiblity for behaviors any longer?
Glad I left when I did, in 1973.

Middletown station is a nice place to work; outside of town. But, like any place, once in a long while, a few miscreants will come through. St. Patrick's day, and rock concerts are another story, vandalism wise.

RGlueck wrote:What the Hell? So let me get this straight, New Yorkers simply accept criminal vandalism as a way of life these days? If you catch somebody breaking ito one of these machines, you don't beat the living #%&@ out of him and teach him a lesson? Unbelievable. Nobody take responsiblity for behaviors any longer? Glad I left when I did, in 1973.

The world was a different place in '73. Many of these locations present a clear danger (try East New York). With the prevailing "liberal" climate, you would be in court/or dead for the suggested 40 year solution. Not sure taking on 1 much less several cretins in isolated areas are best for your overall health.