Three Romanian men were arrested after authorities uncovered a large-scale credit card skimming operation in a Dallas home, the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation announced.
The bust, which involved multiple agencies, resulted in the seizure of 115 credit card skimmers, $50,000 in cash, 25 fake IDs, and over 300 payment cards that had been re-encoded with victims’ account numbers.
The investigation began July 17 when a merchant reported a skimmer to the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC). The following day, officers executed a search warrant at a Dallas residence, where they discovered what FCIC officials described as a “credit card skimmer factory” suspected to be part of a larger international criminal organization.
According to FCIC analysts, the seizure of the skimmers, fake IDs, and payment cards thwarted an estimated $23 million in additional potential fraud.
The suspects, identified as Victor Marian Tecu, Triussa Gabrielle (also known as Ionut Firan Alexandrau), and Gheorge Ciprian Hilitanu, face charges of 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.
The operation involved the Texas Department of Public Safety, North Texas TAG, the Dallas Police Department, the Euless Police Department, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.
FCIC officials cautioned that financial crimes, including payment card skimming and the use of fraudulent documents, remain an evolving threat.
In March of this year, two other Romanian citizens, Petruta Camelia Ciuperca, 34, and Alexandru Constantin, 34, were arrested for operating a credit card skimming factory from their Dallas-area residence.
The investigation into the suspected international crime network continues.