A Chilean pickpocket who preyed on Tube commuters was caught carrying a contactless card reader in the first case of its kind. Daniel Maldonado Paulson, 35, had only been in the UK for two weeks when he carried out his “ghost tapping” crime spree at South Kensington London Underground station.
Hurrah! Isn't it nice to read a 'good news story' about crime in London for once?
Plain-clothes British Transport Police spotted Maldonado Paulson scouting the Piccadilly line for victims at 7.30pm on February 7. They swooped when the thief displayed behaviour typical of a professional pickpocket and stopped him on the platform.As police escorted him up the escalator, Maldonado Paulson attempted to flee but was subsequently arrested and handcuffed. He was found to have Sophie Halford’s £1,300 phone which had been reported stolen just 20 minutes earlier and an electronic card reading device.
They haven't said exactly how this worked so presumably, they don't want to encourage copycats.
The handset was returned to Ms Halford just two hours after Maldonado Paulson took it.
Lucky lady. Let's hope the courts did their part!
At Westminster Magistrates’ Court on February 13, Maldonado Paulson pleaded guilty to two counts of handling stolen goods and resisting arrest by PC Alison Levi. The defendant, of Alvey Street, Southwark, was jailed for six months.
*sigh*
No mention of deportation after completion of sentence?
ReplyDeleteWould not be surprised if he starts claiming benefits when he gets out.
Penseivat
He probably already is!
DeleteTrains are a great place to skim peoples cards. You need close proximity to the card for a few seconds and the reader gets the details. Walking down the carriage, stopping by people should pick up a few cards every trip and you are not actually picking pockets so it won't be obvious.
ReplyDeleteThis is why these RFID wallets are selling so well. For a few quid you can stop this skimming and protect your credit. Although there are a lot of them that don't actually work so test them when you get them.
But without the associated PIN what use are the details?
DeleteYet another reason why I won't have a contactless card, no matter how many funny looks I get from retail staff. If you have to wrap your cards in tin foil to stop this kind of theft from occuring to you then methinks the technology is not secure, and considering that I have a degree in electronics with a specialty in radio tech I would like to think I know what I'm talking about just a tad more than most other people.
ReplyDeleteSteven
Ah, I see, so they use the details to make contactless payments? But isn’t a PIN needed for that?
Delete