Two Arrested in ATM Skimmer Investigation

DUBUQUE, Iowa – On June 17^th, 2020, MidWestOne Bank personnel located skimmers on three of their Automated Teller Machines (ATM).  The affected ATMs were located at 913 Locust Street, 280 Kennedy Road, and 4730 Asbury Road.  During the afternoon and evening of June 17^th, 2020 investigators identified a suspect vehicle utilizing MidWestOne surveillance and City of Dubuque traffic cameras.  Investigators tracked the vehicle around Dubuque, to the ATMs and determined the occupants changed license plates on the vehicle multiple times.

On June 18^th, 2020, at approximately 11:15 p.m. Officers located and stopped the suspect vehicle as it approached the MidWestOne ATM at 913 Locust Street.  The occupants of the vehicle identified themselves as Foivos Kourovpas (2/16/1991) of Chicago, IL and Apostolis Athanasiadis (10/21/1990) no permanent address. 

A search warrant was executed on the vehicle and yielded electronic devices, cards with magnetic strips, and tools consistent with the installation and removal of skimming devices. Kourovpas was in possession of a small amount of marijuana and a stolen license plate.

The skimmers were placed on the ATMs during the evening hours of June 15^th, 2020 and removed during the afternoon on June 17^th, 2020. No personal information was compromised.

Both Kourovpas and Athanasiadis were charged with three counts of Illegal Use of a Scanning Device.  Kourovpas was additionally charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana and Theft 5^th-Possession of Stolen Property.

Illegal Use of a Scanning Device is a class D felony punishable by 5 years imprisonment.  Possession of a Controlled Substance is a serious misdemeanor punishable by no more than one year of imprisonment. Theft 5^th is a simple misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days of imprisonment.

Skimmers are illegal card readers attached or inserted into electronic financial terminals and record magnetic strip data off a credit or debit card without the cardholder’s knowledge. Criminals may sell the stolen data or use it to make purchases and withdrawals. As always, cardholders are encouraged to frequently check account activity through their mobile/online banking, as this is still the best way to catch and defend against fraud.  More information on skimmers can be found here:
 https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/skimming
 
As with any criminal case, the charges filed are allegations and all suspects are presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law.  If you have any information on this incident or others, please call the Dubuque Police Department at 563-589-4415 or Crime Stoppers at 800-747-0117 or 563-588-0714 (if the information leads to an arrest, the caller is eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000). You can also submit tips anonymously online at www.cityofdubuque.org/police.

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