Two Bulgarian skimmers, Krasimir Damyanov (25) and Deyan Dimitrov Iliev (22) were sentenced to two years and four months imprisonment, after admitting a charge of providing false information and 10 computer crime charges, the Christchurch Court News said on December 11 2009.

Allegedly, the two Bulgarians attempted laying a smoke screen over their crimes by telling local authorities that they were "forced" into the skimming scam on the cash machines in Canterbury and Nelson, but the local judge would have none of it.

Eventually, Damyanov and Iliev admitted skimming machines in Christchurch, Ashburton and Motueka. They also testified to providing New Zealand police with false information to obtain a visitor’s permit, the report says.

Prosecutor David Jackson said the Bulgarians arrived in the country with an employment letter and itinerary, but after their arrival they had made no effort to get jobs. Reportedly, the skimming ring was not limited only to the activities of Damyanov and Iliev but involved others as well.

Police in New Zealand arrested the two in Nelson on September 3 2009. At the time, the Bulgarians were charged with carrying out data-skimming attacks on ATM machines in Nelson and Canterbury, targeting ATM machines at ANZ, BNZ, ASB, National Bank and Westpac.

As a consequence of their activities, two banks had to re-issue 4736 cards to their customers at a cost of 130 000 New Zealand dollars and a further cost of repairs to their machines amounting to 18 000 dollars.

"Issues of harm, loss, and loss of confidence by the public in the banking and immigration systems were relevant. Their offending was deliberate and their motivation malicious, and it was sophisticated, organised criminal activity," Christchurch district court judge Michael Crosbie was quoted as saying.