A man is set to be sentenced for stealing surfers’ phones and bank cards from their cars. Moundir Kamil, 56, of Orange County, orchestrated a scheme that saw him steal almost $1 million from surfers at beaches in San Diego County, Malibu, Manhattan Beach and others.
As CBS8 reports, Kamil and two co-defendants pleaded guilty in September to one federal count each of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, attempted bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
From April 2021 to December 2022, the group carried out a scheme where a spotter on the beach would confirm when a surfer had entered the water, then signal to another accomplice, who would break into the surfer’s unattended car. Their phone and wallet were retrieved and passed on to Kamil, who would proceed to gain access to the phone’s financial apps. After bank accounts, crypto wallets, and other money holding programs were emptied, the person’s stolen bank cards would then be used to purchase luxury goods and electronics. When credit card companies would call to check on the fraudulent activity, the thieves would answer the phones and approve the purchases…