Romania – Arrest of 25 members of card-clone gang.
Romanian authorities have announced the arrest of 25 people in connection with a well-organized operation that used cloned bank cards to withdraw cash from ATMs.
The gang is alleged to have stolen more than $15 million from modern cashing-out runs around the world.
Police searched 42 properties in 6 cities across Romania and arrested 25 suspects, although the gang's full strength is likely to be at least 52 people.
The group is allegedly responsible for cash thefts in 24 countries around the world in 2013, which amounts to at least 34,000 separate thefts.
In one operation, $9 million dollars was withdrawn from ATMs in Japan in just one day using cloned cards.
In another, $5 million was stolen in one day from ATMs in 15 cities across Romania in 4,200 withdrawals.
During the investigations in Romania, police seized laptops and phones used in the criminal enterprise, along with 2 kg of gold bars, valuable works of art, and 150,000 euros in cash. They also locked up real estate and other valuables purchased with the proceeds of the criminal enterprise.
The size and organization of this gang make it unlikely that all participants will be caught, even after several years of separate “raids” of arrests that appear to be linked to the same “operation.”
Good luck to those around the world working to prosecute the individuals behind this form of fraud – they will need .
