News

Landscaper admits to Lebanese loop scam at ATMs in 4 states and D.C.

July 9, 2003

FAIRFAX, Va. -- Federal authorities say a 36-year-old Daytona Beach, Fla., landscaper managed to steal thousands of dollars from banks in the Fairfax County area and several other states during an eight-year ATM crime spree. 

According to a WRAL report, Fairfax county police and U.S. Secret Service agents said Roberto Inzitari used a "Lebanese loop" scheme in which he inserted a device into the ATM card reader to trap cards inside the machine.

He would then approach the victim and claim that the same machine trapped his card the previous day. He told the victims that they might be able to free their card by re-entering their PIN. Inzitari would then watch and memorize the PIN. After the ATM user left, he would remove their card from the machine and use it to empty their account.

Bank security officials began capturing Inzitari's photograph on ATM security cameras beginning back in 1994, but they couldn't get a positive identification.

While visiting relatives in the area, police said Inzitari struck mostly on weekends. His last victim was ripped off just weeks ago in Fairfax County, according to police.

He was arrested in May. In a plea agreement that was accepted late last month, Inzitari admitted stealing more than $97,000 dollars at ATMs in Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and the District of Columbia over the past eight to nine years.

Sentencing is scheduled for September. He could get up to 15 years.