Three men from Cuba who were living in New Jersey have been arrested for being part of a credit card skimming scam that targeted people in Pennsylvania.
According to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, the men were involved in placing devices on ATMs to steal personal banking information.
The three accused are: Yoelvis Diaz-Castillo, 37; Leandro Soler-Rodriguez, 33; and Yolexis Gonzalez-Hernandez, 37. All of them were living in Hudson County, New Jersey. They are now facing several felony charges, including identity theft, conspiracy, and unlawful use of payment cards.
The investigation started when a suspicious device was found on an ATM at an Ephrata National Bank branch in East Earl Township in late April.
Police removed the device and later found a small camera as well. This kind of setup allows criminals to secretly record people’s PINs and steal data from the magnetic strip on the card.
Soon after, investigators tracked a rented car used by the suspects. They followed them to multiple bank locations in different counties including Berks, Lebanon, and Lancaster. Authorities say the men visited several ATMs and tried to collect information from skimming devices that they had earlier installed.
Police eventually stopped the vehicle and found more evidence, including several skimming tools, in the car. The tools matched the ones that had been found on the bank machines earlier.
The trio is now being held at Lancaster County Prison on $1 million bail each. Officials believe the suspects may have ties to a larger, organized skimming network that stretches beyond Pennsylvania.
Skimming is a growing crime where thieves install hidden devices on ATMs or card readers to steal card data. That stolen information can then be used to make fake cards and withdraw money from victims’ bank accounts.
Authorities are urging people to always check ATMs before inserting their cards. If anything looks out of place—like loose parts or unusual attachments—they should report it to the bank immediately.
Lancaster County’s District Attorney’s Office has thanked local law enforcement and financial institutions for working together quickly to catch the suspects before more people were affected.