A BANK of Ireland cashier who used an illegal magnetic data skimmer, leading to almost €320,000 being taken from 87 customer accounts, has been given a suspended sentence. He claimed he had come under pressure from an eastern European he had met at a nightclub.
Darren McComiskey (24) Thornville Road, Kilbarrack, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing the account details and pin numbers from customers he served during his employment at the bank’s College Green branch.
Det Sgt Paul Curtis said McComiskey passed on the account details to two eastern European men, who took a total of €319,641 from the 87 accounts.
The fraudulent transactions took place between October 31st, 2006, and February 14th, 2007, and came to light when a number of customers contacted the bank to report that unauthorised sums of money had been taken from their accounts.
Det Sgt Curtis told prosecuting counsel Karen O’Connor that when an internal investigation revealed all the customers affected had been served by McComiskey, the case was reported to the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation.
McComiskey admitted his criminal activity in a series of interviews. An electronic skimmer, along with a bag containing €3,500, were recovered in McComiskey’s home.
Det Sgt Curtis said customers wishing to withdraw money had handed their cards to McComiskey, who swiped them twice, once through the bank’s legitimate computer software and once through his own machine.
In order to authorise the withdrawals, the customers then entered their pin numbers on to the bank’s electronic pad, and this was observed by McComiskey, who jotted the numbers down.
McComiskey downloaded all the information he had recorded on to a computer. New bank cards duplicating the data were made.
Fraudulent transactions then took place all over the country, with varying amounts stolen from each account, including one single transaction of €12,600.
Det Sgt Curtis said McComiskey had become involved in the scheme through an eastern European doorman he had met in a local nightclub.
Together with another eastern European man, the doorman became aware of McComiskey’s employment in the Bank of Ireland and they both approached him in a heavy-handed manner, pressurising him to take part in the scam.
Det Sgt Curtis said McComiskey had tried to get out of the scam by taking sick leave.
All the bank customers had been refunded and investigations into the rest of the criminal gang continued.
Judge Martin Nolan said McComiskey was a very weak individual who was easily led and this was his first offence. He imposed a three-year sentence, which he suspended for five years.