Texas arrests in card skimming scam prevent $23M in potential fraud: officials

Three men were arrested on July 18 in North Texas after they were accused of running a credit card skimmer operation used on ATMs across the United States, authorities said.

The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center uncovered 115 credit card skimmers, $50,000 in cash, 25 fake IDs and over 300 payment cards with victims’ account numbers when investigators served a search warrant at a house in Dallas, according to an FCIC news release.

Texas FCIC analysts estimated that the confiscation of the evidence prevented around $23 million in additional potential fraud, the release stated.

A merchant contacted FCIC on July 17 after finding a card skimmer, according to the release. Authorities gathered evidence and obtained a search warrant by the next day, when they arrested the men in Dallas.

Officers believe the three men, Victor Marian Tecu, Triussa Gabrielle (also known as Ionut Firan Alexandrau) and Gheorge Ciprian Hilitanu, are part of a transnational criminal organization, the release stated. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the group.

The men, who are Romanian nationals, are facing four charges: engaging in organized criminal activity, unlawful interception of electronic communications, tampering with a government document, and fraudulent use or possession of credit card or debit card information, according to the news release.

The Texas Department of Public Safety, Euless Police Department, Dallas Police Department and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service aided in the investigation.

FCIC officials highlighted the importance of inter-agency cooperation to shut down these operations, according to the news release. They warned of the continuing threat of financial fraud, as criminals use fraudulent documents, payment card skimming, and other tactics to deceive victims and bypass their security.