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Evergreen Reporter

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

St. Louis residents charged with ATM skimming scheme

Six individuals have been indicted for allegedly installing skimming devices on ATMs in the St. Louis area to steal bank account information from customers. The accused include Laurentiu Miguel Ivan, Venera Isabelle Dumitru, Mihai Florin Marinescu, Ianus Nita, Mihai Vlaicu, and Nelu Nae.

Ivan, Dumitru, Marinescu, Vlaicu, and Nae face charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Nita has not yet been arrested but is also charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

According to the indictment, the group conspired to install skimming devices on ATMs to capture customer data and PINs for fraudulent purposes. In January 2024, Vlaicu and Marinescu allegedly collected information from victims by placing skimmers on ATMs at banks in Frontenac and Clayton.

In April 2024, Dumitru, Vlaicu, and Ivan reportedly used cloned cards to attempt cash withdrawals across various locations in St. Louis. On May 2nd of that year, Marinescu attempted unsuccessfully to install a skimmer on an ATM in south St. Louis County; Nae retrieved it the following day. Marinescu installed another device on an ATM in Wildwood on May 9th.

The indictment details further attempts by Nita on May 11th to withdraw funds using stolen account information from a St. Louis County ATM. On May 28th, Marinescu and Nae installed a skimmer on an ATM in St. Louis which was removed by law enforcement before retrieval by Nita and Vlaicu.

Special Agent Ashley T. Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division advised vigilance against hidden skimmers: “It’s not uncommon for some skimmers to be hidden inside an ATM or gas pump...review your bank or credit card statements regularly for unauthorized transactions.”

Ivan, Dumitru, and Marinescu are reportedly not legally present in the United States while Nita has overstayed his visa according to motions filed seeking their detention until trial.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI along with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cort VanOstran is handling prosecution duties.

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