The New Jersey Police have issued a warning following the arrest of an LA man who was caught defrauding others with the use of a scanning device.
The Middlesex Police Department charged 34-year-old Alexander Crisan, a resident of Los Angeles, California, with fraud due to the skimming device he had installed. He was apprehended by officers last week and his case is set to go through the Middlesex Superior Court on July 11th.
This year, ATM skimming devices were discovered in numerous businesses across the state, including the store in Middlesex Borough.
Authorities have reported the discovery of skimming devices on ATMs at various stores and banks, including those in Cinnaminson, Galloway, Pennsauken, Nutley, Bayonne, Roselle, and Union. According to NBCDFW, the devices were installed at Aldi stores in Roselle and Union during the winter.
According to a report by New Jersey 101.5 radio station, a customer spotted a device on March 22. This incident follows the arrest of two men in Westfield, NJ, who were charged with installing skimming devices on ATMs throughout the town earlier this year.
Two individuals hailing from Anaheim, California and Brooklyn, New York respectively, are suspected of stealing a total of $165,500 in the New Jersey area and $142,360 in the Chicago area, as per Westfield police reports. It’s worth noting that New Jersey isn’t the only state dealing with large-scale skimming operations.
The United States Department of Justice recently reported that two Romanian men from Pensacola, Florida, were sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment for stealing bank card numbers back in 2023.
The United States Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Florida has disclosed in a press release that Ion Halmac, aged 35, and Marian Vasilache, aged 45, have been sentenced for engaging in a conspiracy to steal bank card numbers. They were also found guilty of possessing bank card skimming devices and bank card numbers.
WKRGÂ was told by Jason R. Coody, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, that these cases are an excellent example of the triumph of collaborative investigations between federal and local agencies. Their joint efforts have resulted in the identification and capture of individuals attempting to benefit from fraudulent activities and theft.
“We prioritize safeguarding our citizens’ financial information above all else, and in collaboration with our law enforcement allies, we will ensure that offenders face consequences, irrespective of their country of origin.”
During a routine traffic stop in Florida, the police caught the culprits speeding. Upon searching their vehicle, the troopers stumbled upon card skimming equipment, blank cards, and a laptop that contained more than 3,000 bank card numbers.
For more than a decade now, skimmer devices have been in existence. These tools function by scanning the magnetic stripe located at the back of a credit card and frequently come equipped with a small camera to record the user’s pin.
On June 14, in Tarrant County, Texas, the authorities apprehended three men for a series of purported criminal activities. Mihai Florin Marienscu, 37, Nelu Nae, 36, and Mihai Vlaicu, 47, are accused of several charges associated with organized crime and unauthorized use of electronic communications.
Roberts stated that the suspects’ arrival in Texas was quickly discovered, and they were apprehended within a week. The group is alleged to have placed skimming devices throughout Tarrant and Dallas County and is believed to be involved in numerous skimmer investigations that extend across several states.
The Dollar General on East Market Street in Georgetown, Delaware, made headlines when the Georgetown police department discovered a credit card skimming device on the premises.
According to Lt. Joel Diaz of the Georgetown Police Department, placing these devices on credit card machines is a quick and easy process. Usually, two people are involved in the act – one person distracts the employee while the other person places the device over the original credit card machine. This fake device looks exactly like the real machine, making it difficult to detect unless one is paying close attention. Lt. Joel Diaz warns that it’s important to stay vigilant and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity around credit card machines.
After the discovery of a skimming device at a Dollar General in Felton last Thursday, another skimming device was found. Lieutenant Diaz raised concerns and communicated with law enforcement partners to investigate whether this was an isolated incident or if it was specific to Dollar Generals. He further questioned the reason behind the skimming devices.
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