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Federal prosecutors alleged an Oregon man impersonated credit union employees and used text messages to obtain members' personal information to steal funds at ATMs and make purchases at retail stores.
U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams in Portland said last week that Winston E. Gray, 30, of Beaverton, has been charged by criminal complaint with bank fraud.
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According to court documents, a fraud investigator at the $869 million Rivermark Community Credit Union based in Beaverton, Ore., contacted the Portland Police Bureau last month to report numerous credit union members had received text messages asking them to confirm or deny recent transactions. When victim members denied the transaction, they received a phone call from a person purporting to be a credit union employee asking for their debit card number and PIN in order to disable their card.
Those members' personal financial information allegedly obtained by Gray was used to clone their debit cards to make numerous retail store purchases and ATM withdrawals throughout the Portland metro area. Federal prosecutors did not report how much money was allegedly stolen and the value of the retail store purchases.
Using a list of fraudulent transactions provided by Rivermark Community, detectives from the Portland Police Bureau and the Beaverton Police Department, with assistance from investigators with the $6.5 billion OnPoint Community Credit Union, the $1.3 billion Unitus Community Credit Union (both based in Portland), and Bank of America obtained video surveillance and photos of Gray allegedly making unauthorized transactions from various ATMs and retail stores.
On April 15, detectives obtained and served search warrants for Gray's Beaverton residence and vehicle.
Detectives seized a Bluetooth card writer used to re-encode magnetic strips on credit cards; blank cards with magnetic strips; handwritten instructions on creating stolen identities and committing credit card fraud; multiple stolen credit cards, debit cards and driver's licenses; clothing matching those seen in the surveillance footage; more than $10,000 in cash, a handgun, ammunition and 26 grams of cocaine.
After conducting the searches, Gray was arrested without incident.
He made his first appearance in federal court on April 17 when a federal judge determined Gray was a flight risk and danger to the community.
If convicted, Gray faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison, five years' supervised release and a $1 million fine.
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Peter Strozniak
Credit Union Times reporter covering credit union operations, fraud, M&As, leagues, business continuity, and breaking news.
