Fake credit cards found in Deerfield

A check of a suspicious car led Deerfield police to uncover an extensive fake credit card scam with ties to New York, authorities said Wednesday.

Police found 100 fake credit cards, debit cards and gift cards, as well as manuals for a credit card-making device, inside the car, a 2006 Audi reported stolen in New York, Deerfield Deputy Police Chief Rick Wilk said.

"An officer saw a guy standing outside a car, and it didn't look right," Wilk said. "It was good police work."

Three men -- one from Vernon Hills and two from Brooklyn, N.Y. -- were arrested and face various charges.

Dmitri Spessivov, 26, of 1 Cedar Court, Vernon Hills, is charged with receiving a stolen credit card. He was transferred to Cook County jail after his arrest.

Vladislav Khlopine, 37, of Brooklyn, was charged with unlawful possession of a stolen auto. He was transferred to Cook County jail, too.

Varujan Amroyan, 46, of Brooklyn, was charged with criminal trespass to vehicle. He was released after posting $100 bond.

Additional charges may be filed in New York against Spessivov and Khlopine, police said. Lake County authorities are investigating whether the suspects were involved in any credit card-related crimes here, Wilk said.

The men were arrested Aug. 17 after a Deerfield police officer spotted the stolen Audi outside the Illinois secretary of state's office in Lake Cook Plaza, 405 Lake-Cook Road.

Deerfield police and New York City police detectives then teamed to investigate the case. They learned information contained on the magnetic strips of the cards had been replaced with information from other credit cards belonging to people throughout the United States, Wilk said.

Although an exact figure was not known Wednesday, police believe the men had preyed on as many as 100 victims, including retail and Internet stores.