Thousands of credit card numbers stolen from LA ATM skimmers; 3 year operation leads to arrests

Suspects arrested in ATM skimming scam

After a three-year operation, authorities announced that nearly 50 people had been arrested in connection with an ATM skimming scam. Thousands of credit card numbers were stolen from LA ATMs using the skimmers.

LOS ANGELES - A major operation busted a big ATM scam in Los Angeles, exposing a shocking truth - thousands of people had their credit card numbers stolen. The FBI's Los Angeles Field Office teamed up with Romanian law enforcement for a three-year investigation that targeted a group involved in ATM skimming and money laundering.

The operation led to the arrest of 48 people, the seizure of around $1 million in different currencies, and the confiscation of 11 vehicles linked to the criminals. They were focused on stealing credit card details in the U.S. and moving the money through Western Europe back to Romania.

The suspects were connected to the Riviera Maya Gang, led by Florian Tudor, who is facing fraud charges in Mexico and attempted murder charges in Romania. In California's Central District, multiple individuals face charges like Conspiracy, Bank Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Visa Fraud.

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Romanian law enforcement, in coordination with the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, conducted enforcement operations targeting 84 locations in Romania tied to an organized crime group engaged in ATM skimming and money laundering.

In Southern California, agents and prosecutors cracked down on ATM skimmers, finding over 8,000 stolen credit card numbers from people in the U.S.