3 arrested in North Texas multi-million dollar card skimmer scam, officials say

DALLAS — Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center officers arrested three men in connection with a multi-million dollar card skimmer scheme, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. 

Victor Marian Tecu, Triussa Gabrielle (a.k.a Ionut Firan Alexandrau), and Gheorge Ciprian Hilitanu were arrested and charged with 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 Department of Licensing and Regulation said.

FCIC’s operation uncovered that the three men allegedly created credit card skimmers that were being used on ATMs across the country. While serving a search warrant in Dallas, officers located 115 credit card skimmers, $50,000 in cash, 25 fake IDs, and more than 300 payment cards that had been re-encoded with victims’ account numbers, the department said. Seizing the skimmers, the fake IDs and the payment cards prevented an estimated $23 million in additional potential fraud, according to intelligence center analysts.

The search warrant came as the result of a report on July 17 when a merchant contacted the intelligence center to report that they’d found a skimmer.  By the next day, law enforcement officers had gathered enough information to obtain a search warrant, and they arrested the three men, the department said.

The three Romanians are believed to be part of a larger transnational criminal organization and investigation into the group continues, according to officials.

The arrest was assisted by the Texas Department of Public Safety North Texas TAG, Euless Police Department, Dallas Police Department, and the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service.