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Identity Theft Victim Turns Amateur Sleuth And Gets Suspect Arrested

ONTARIO (CBSLA.com) — A victim of identity theft turned amateur sleuth in Ontario and helped catch the suspect who was using her debit card information to pay for his gas, according to authorities.

Greg Mills, reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, spoke to the victim who didn't want her face shown or her name used.

Mills reports, like many of us, the woman used her debit card to buy gas.  She recently discovered that someone else was using a debit card --  with her number --  to buy his gas.

The someone else, according to the Riverside Sheriff's department, is Gabriel Luna of Corona.

Officials say the 46-year-old Luna was arrested after they discovered a wide array of incriminating equipment found in his home. The equipment included a credit card encoding machines, blank magnetic cards and a computer to create fake cards.

When he was arrested, Mills reports Luna also had $30,000 in cash in his home.

The victim's card was not stolen. So how was Luna able to get the numbers? The theft victim told Mills, "The police officer said they scan you or scan your purse or scan your wallet and that's how they get it. Because I had my card with me."

The victim discovered the theft after checking her bank statement. She said it costs her about $80 -- and some change -- to fill her vehicle. She noticed several charges for $125 -- and at gas stations she doesn't go to.

She found instances of this five times over a two month period.

The victim got the investigation going by asking one of the gas stations to check their security video on the date in question. "I had to call my bank and get the time and then she went through the film and she had him on video. At that same time." She then turned the video over to police.

Luna is now facing stolen identity and credit card fraud charges.

The Sheriff's department told Mills they do not believe this woman was Luna's only victim.

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