Ex-Movie Theater Workers Ran Credit Card-Skimming Scheme In Duluth: Authorities

DULUTH, GA -- Two former employees of a Gwinnett County movie theater are behind bars after allegedly running a credit card-skimming operation, authorities said this week. Tiffany Webb, 23, and Ricardo Montanez Blalock, 26, aka Monte, worked at Studio Movie Grill at 3850 Venture Drive in Duluth, police said.

The duo ran an elaborate scam at the cinema, which included the theft of credit cards and unauthorized purchases with them, Gwinnett authorities said. (SIGN UP: For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. Or if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Investigators said that Webb described the them like this: As a server, she would allegedly give credit card info to Blalock at the end of her shift. In return, Blalock would pay her $1,000 in cash every week. Gwinnett authorities said the scam ran for at least three months, starting in May but possibly earlier.

During their investigation, detectives found a mini credit card reader device, "the world's smallest portable magnetic card reader on the market," Gwinnett police said in a news release. The device is capable of storing 8000+ ATM card track data, authorities said.

"Anyone who has visited the business during the last 3 months should know that their financial identity was possibly compromised. Victims should immediately contact their bank and have them issue a new account number with a new ATM card number," Gwinnett police said.

Webb is charged with possession of tools for the commission of crime and eight counts of financial identity fraud. Blalock is being held on eight counts of financial identity fraud.

Images via Gwinnett County PD