SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif — When you head out for a day of surfing you don’t bring your wallet, your phone or your keys in the water. This simple fact is the root of a nearly $1 million fraud scheme that targeted surfers from April 2021 through December 2022 at beaches throughout Southern California areas.
CBS8 reports 56-year-old convicted bank robber, Moundir Kamil, is expected to be sentenced in Los Angeles federal court Wednesday for his theft spree using bank cards and phones that were stolen from cars while their owners were out catching waves. Kamil along with two co-defendants are facing charges conspiracy to commit bank fraud, attempted bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The scheme was pretty simple, stake out popular surf spots in places like San Diego County, Malibu, and Manhattan Beach keep a close eye on surfers as they parked their cars. A member of the crime ring would watch where the surfers hid their car keys before paddling out and then an accomplice on the beach would confirm that the surfer had entered the water. When the all clear was given, one of the criminals would take the stashed key, gain entry to the car without setting off any alarms and pilfer through it looking for wallets and phones. Once these items were secured they were handed off Kamil, the mastermind of the ring, who would then hack the phones’ facial recognition software and gain access to its apps (pretty sophisticated if these claims by U.S. Attorney’s Office are indeed true).
With bank cards and unlocked phones in hand, the thieves would empty out bank accounts, investment holdings, and crypto wallets. They would also make high end purchases at stores like Chanel or the Apple Store which Kamil would resell for cash money. If credit card companies called to check if there was fraudulent activity stemming from a purchase, the criminals would simply pick up the call and approve the charges.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, which is requesting that Kamil be sentenced to six years and three months in prison and ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution and fees.
