Charges filed against couple accused of 'skimming' data from Utah ATMs

Charges filed against couple accused of 'skimming' data from Utah ATMs

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SALT LAKE CITY — A man and woman accused of defrauding Utah banking customers with a hidden electronic device were indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday.

Alexandru and Ionela Stefan each are charged with access device fraud for allegedly obtaining people's bank card information data using a hidden device, known as a "skimmer," on an ATM at a Deseret First Credit Union in Sandy.

Placing such a device is called "skimming" and is a scam intended to gather the information to make purchases using information from compromised cards. Skimmers frequently sell that information for others to use, police say.

Alexandru and Ionela Stefan each could be sentenced up to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted. Both are scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 10 a.m. Thursday before U.S. District Judge Dustin Pead.

The duo was arrested May 14 after being identified by the FBI Cyber Task Force in connection with fraud at ATMs in Orem and Sandy. Another man believed to be connected to the Stefans can be seen on ATM surveillance at a location in Orem, according to Orem Police Lt. Craig Martinez, whose agency is also involved in the investigation. A fourth person is believed to have made purchases in Salt Lake City using the compromised accounts.

Martinez earlier declined to name the bank that was targeted but said it was different branches of the same institution. Federal charging documents specify that the Sandy ATM belongs to Deseret First.

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Deseret First Credit Union employees in Sandy received several complaints from customers about fraudulent activity on their accounts earlier this month and reportedly located the skimming device. Other branches were notified of the possible fraud. Workers at the Orem location reviewed ATM surveillance and discovered a man had placed a skimming device and removed it several hours later, according to Martinez.

Alexandru and Ionela Stefan were followed and arrested by investigators after allegedly being seen retrieving the skimming device from Deseret First Credit Union in Sandy.

Police said they are confident the two others allegedly involved are tied to the Stefans, Martinez said, but it is unknown how many ATMs or victims may be involved.

Police originally said the Stefans, who have Romanian citizenship, were living in Southern California. Federal prosecutors say their current address is unknown. Both are being held in the Weber County Jail.

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Ben Lockhart

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