SANTO DOMINGO. – Though a credit card’s advantages are many, their owners must be wary when paying, as hackers can easily latch on to private information when they’e passed through the “veriphone” reader.

Despite the safety features banks have adopted, Dominican law enforcement agencies warn users that ID theft crimes are frequent.

The Industry and Commerce Ministry (SEIC) reported the detection  in the Web companies that are fering equipment for the cloning and many do not fer security to the buyers that fer personal information during the process.

Newspaper Listin Diario said it found the site www.evisos.com.do on the Web which sells, among other articles, equipment to “clone” credit cards.

Last June the Police arrested Francisco Manuel Joa and Carlos Jose Lizardo, alleged members of a ring which bilked more than RD$40 million from several banks in the country, together with the fugitive Rafael Amauris Nivar, for ID theft and for cloning the magnetic strips in credit cards. Also arrested the Guatemalans Joel Esau Amaya, Juan Carlos Sanchez, Javier Ramirez Galindo and Malvin Eduardo Suchite, whereas Jose Alfredo Hernandez eluded capture.

The Police said United States law enforcement agencies cooperate with Dominican Republic to arrest the ID thieves who steal millions from banks here and abroad.

Consumer Rights Foundation director (Fundecom) Alfonsina Cuesta lamented  that those crimes generate few complaints, as they’ve received only two so far this year.  She said the authorities must harden the security mechanisms or users will lose confidence, urging them to be aware when paying with “plastic money.”