LifeLock

Mikhail Tuknov, of San Diego, has been indicted on 44 charges of debit card fraud, conspiracy to launder money and ID theft. The indictment alleges that Tuknov was part of an international identity theft ring responsible for the theft of approximately 1,045 debit card numbers and their associated personal identification numbers.

The crimes in which Tuknov is alleged to have played a part are an example of the complex and convoluted nature of international identity theft rings.

Tuknov was working with sources in Russia who sent him stolen debit card numbers and related PINs, according to the indictment. Tuknov relayed that information to an associate in the Dominican Republic who then encoded it onto blank debit cards.

The newly encoded cards were then delivered to other criminals in New York City, where they were used to make ATM cash withdrawals from the victims’ accounts, prosecutors say. The money was sent to the initial sources in Russia.

Once Tuknov’s Russian associates received the cash, they sent him more numbers and his commission for coordinating the tortuous criminal activity.

Total losses for the crime ring’s victims are thought to be roughly $371,000.

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If any of their clients’ information—name, Social Security number, account numbers, etc.—is detected, Life Lock immediately notifies their customer and assists them in canceling accounts and notifying the appropriate authorities.

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