DALLAS, TX – Officers from the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC) uncovered an operation that was creating credit card skimmers that were being used on ATMs across the country. When they served a search warrant on a residence 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.
Seizing the skimmers, the fake IDs and the payment cards prevented an estimated $23 million in additional potential fraud, according to FCIC analysts.
Three men — Victor Marian Tecu, Triussa Gabrielle (AKA 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 three Romanians are believed to be part of a larger transnational criminal organization and investigation into the group continues.
Assisting in the investigation were 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.
Authorities were alerted to the case on July 17 when a merchant contacted the FCIC 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.
FCIC officials warn that financial crimes continue to pose an evolving threat, with criminals using fraudulent documents, payment card skimming, and social engineering tactics to deceive victims and bypass security measures. This case documents the importance of inter-agency cooperation to identify, investigate, and shut down these organized crime operations.
About the Texas FCIC
The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, located in Tyler, Texas, is staffed by law enforcement officers and intelligence analysts with extensive experience investigating organized financial crimes, including credit card skimming and shimming that attack fuel dispensers, ATMs, and point of sale terminals, as well as many other types of financial crimes. The Smith County District Attorney’s office runs day-to-day operations at the FCIC, while the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation reimburses Smith County for operating expenses related to the Center. Visit the FCIC’s website for more information and resources.
