this is "nightline." >> a new kind of thief is stealing your credit card info while you're getting your fast food. now one former master criminal is trying to help stop it. plus -- >> my son did that. >> a barbara walters' "nightline" exclusive. he speaks out about his son that went on a shooting spree. and under attack. they're young, they're gay, and trying to escape their country. a six-month journey to american

soil. will everybody make it? but first, the "nightline" five.

good evening. vacationers be ware. credit card we have been investigating the story for months and now one former expect it. from fast food restaurants to gas stations. they're not actually stealing your card, just making it a target when you hand it over to pay. we've been investigating for months, and now one former criminal is switching side lgs. here's abc's nick watt for a series "nightline" investigates. >> reporter: you are watching a brazen breed of credit card thieves caught on tape. miss it? watch again. this mcdonald's drive through attendant is swiping each card twice. once to charge for the food, then another one to steal the info. crooks can use that to spend a

fortune. he got caught and pled guilty. police say he was stealing up to 70 customers every single shift. they came in for a mcflurry, drove away with their bank info fleeced. but here's the thing, these electronic skimmers are so advanced they don't even need a human to operate. this alleged crook is searching for a skimmer device. it's stowed inside a gas pump in arizona and left. it automatically steals your credit card info. this guy, caught on camera in a covert sting operation. >> he put those in there, for whatever reason, they're not there anymore. i know why. i have them. >> reporter: he's the one who switched out that scanning device for a night vision spy camera. >> we may have the first-ever video of organized bad guys trying to retrieve their skimmers. >> reporter: that's video gold.

>> that's where i found mine, stuck up here. >> reporter: ahmed found a skimming device inside one of his pumps. he said he had no idea. >> it was stuck on one side to the metal. >> reporter: skimming all across the country has gotten so bad that the united states secret service, yeah, the same guys who protect the president, they are now on the case. are you winning the war? >> it's even right now. we're doing our best. >> reporter: they're getting help from police departments, tipoffs from gas station owners and wait till you meet one of their former secret weapons. >> somebody turned my partner in and he turned me in. >> reporter: dan is a reformed hacker, who switched sides. he was caught by the secret service and spent two years training agents in the dark art of skimming. >> this is the reader that would be inside the gas pump.

so you would just swipe it through and it would read it right here. >> reporter: how do they get into those pumps? believe it or not, there's a universal key that opens must gas pump doors. >> that's a universal key, the same key from massachusetts to california. >> reporter: you can buy one online. >> only of the newer devices use cell phonal technology to transfer the data. >> reporter: how much is my number worth? >> $5 to $30. >> reporter: how do we stop guys like dan from going on shopping sprees with your credit card infoe? the arizona department of weighs and measures is trying to stop this high tech heist at its source. >> we're checking for skimming devices. >> reporter: and they found a skimmer in this pump they had their right idea to lay a trap. they pulled out the skimmer

and -- >> we inserted one of these little night vision spy cams in the back. >> reporter: here's the full video. 2:00 a.m. and a black suv pulls into the gas station. police say one fie block's the attendant's view and two people hunch over the pump. here's the view from inside. apparently a man and woman team caught red handed. >> we have the guy. >> reporter: they can't find their skimmer and start bickering. >> it's almost like a husband and wife team arguing about where's the car key snls>> reporter: the cops are still searching for them. so what can you do to protect yourself? gas station owners are seeking new ways to protect their pumps. here are some other things that

you can do. check your account. most credit card companies will suck up any loss if you report it been 60 days. choose wisely. choose a pump near the attendant. skimmers prefer to target pumps in the shadows. and pay inside. it's time consuming, but it's a whole lot safer. i'm nick watt for "nightline" in los angeles. >> later on "nightline," the father of shooter elliott rogers speaks out for the first time in an exclusive with barbara walt evers. but first, the biggest gay club in moscow shuts its doors. now these young men are coming to america. pro. [ male announcer ] go pro with crest pro-health. ♪ from the crest factory in greensboro, north carolina to a walmart near you. join walmart and crest in supporting american jobs.

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for over six months we have chronicled the challenges of being gay in russia, from new laws to old prejudices, life has become harder, not easier for a tight-knit community under attack. even forcing some to move from their homeland to the united states. here's abc's chief foreign correspondent terry moran. noets ♪ >> this is central station in downtown moscow, russia's largest gay nightclub.

here gays have come for years to meet friends, maybe fall in and out of love and enjoy their own show, the famous flamboyant drag performance. ♪ i need a hero ♪ >> but now the curtain maybe about to fall here for good. one by one the people who feel like outcasts in their own homeland are forced to flee this sanctuary. as we learned in an incredible six month journey being young, gay and russian is a struggle every day. >> here you can't go outside and say you are gay. >> reporter: 24-year-old alexei, that's not his real name, works at central station as a drag performer. and another is victor, also not his real name.

>> you can leave for another country or die. >> at central station for a few hours they are free. >> it's the only place we can do everything we want. >> this could be their last act. why? just look at these images. gay rights protests turning ugly and violent. [ screaming ] >> reporter: gay activists beaten by those who oppose them. all the violence comes in the wake of a controversial russian law passed last june that bans so-called prop gan da of non-traditional relationships to minors. human rights activists say it is a crackdown on gay rights. the result an intense anti-gay climate in the country and that's why we come to moscow. take a look at this. in the door bullet holes. theren have been more than 20

attacks on central station according to the management. in november, two armed men tried to break their way in to the club. as if that weren't scary enough, the manager says the ventilation system was rigged to attack patrons with water and sometimes toxic gas. victor said he's fed up. the seam attacks have gone seemingly unchecked but he won't be a victim. >> if you are scared, you are weak. >> reporter: so here at central station they transform themselves in to drag queens and perform. but outside the danger is always there on the street the mysterious morality patrol. we road with them one night and they denied association with any of the attacks. >> believe me, they have enough enemies around here. >> reporter: in a back alley in moscow, we met some of the most extreme anti-gay activists. >> we want to introduce death penalty for those who want to support homosexuality.

they should be stoned to death like god ordered. >> reporter: they also denid the attacks and then there was. this 50 men strong armed their way to the property, stole property and then started shooting. all the hate is taking a terrible toll. ♪ victor is leaving, headed to san francisco for good. >> my mother said to me, go for america because you can live like normal people. >> reporter: tonight is victor's final performance. ♪ backstage, victor has a guest. >> my brother leave me and he's my one friend.

some men told me that gay is terrible. he should die. and i called my brother and said you leave moscow and russia. he will be happy in the usa. >> reporter: and alexei, he will leave too. >> don't feel like russia can be better. >> reporter: soon after our first report aired central station suffered a final blow. patrons say 20 to 25 men stormed the club. >> they were trying to show they have force. >> reporter: in late february the club dimmed its lights and closed its doors for good. alexei says he deeply misses the

place he called home. >> now, i don't have enough in my life. >> reporter: but his friend victor decided to make the bold move. >> i'm very proud of him. >> reporter: because there are new beginnings, too. we met victor half way around the world, bravely charting a new life in san francisco. >> here every day is like a dream. people here are free. you are gay and people are okay with that. >> reporter: here in the castro district where the movement was ignited years ago he is looking forward to his first gay pride parade this month. he has a new family. a married gay couple has taken him in. >> when he first came in he spoke no english whatsoever. above his bedroom door hangs a

poignant sign. >> in san francisco it is 50 or 60 clubs. so different. >> reporter: he admits he's had lonely days and misses his sister. >> when you change your country, that's hard. >> reporter: but he says his newfound freedom is worth it. here you walk like you want. here you do what you want. here you like you want. >> i love you. >> reporter: he hopes to become a u.s. citizen, to get married, have a family and to become a star. tonight, he's headed to a new show at a new venue and it seems nothing can stop him now. >> what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. every has an american dream and my american dream is to be big drag queen, being gay and being

someone. >> this young lady's come all the from russia ♪ >> this means so much for me. ♪ >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm terry moran in san francisco. >> the owners of the old central station have found a new location and so far they say there have been no attacks. next, barbara walters' exclusive interview with the father of uc santa barbara shooter elliot roger. so why is he speaking now? >> abc news "nightline" brought to you by geico. santa barbara shooter elliott roger. why is he speaking now? barbara joins us. at would be y the flyiirrel, mr. ger. obviously! ahh come on bullwinkle, they're named after... ...first president george rockington!

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now for the first time peter rodger is speaking out. why do you think he came forward. >> i think he's on a mission to raise awareness so that the parents who may have a child like elliot can see the warning signs that he feels he missed.

>> every night i go to sleep. i wake up. and i think of those young men, young women who have died and are injured and were terrorized. and my son did that. my son caused so much pain and suffering for so many families. >> you did not think that elliot was suicidal or certainly not homicidal. >> there's no way that i thought this boy could hurt a flea. this is the most unbelievable thing, barbara. what i don't get is we didn't see this coming, at all. >> did you know he was sick? >> no. this is the american horror story. the world's horror story. when you have somebody who on the outside is one thing and then inside it's something

different and you don't see it. >> this is a man who has to live with the fact that he is mourning a son whom he loved but one who did such evil things. >> an amazing story. barbara walters, thank you very much. we appreciate it. for more of her exclusive interview, don't miss the special edition of the secret life of elliot rodger. as always we are on-line at abc news.com. good night.