6 foreign nationals in Southern California charged in massive ATM ‘skimming’ scam

Six foreign nationals in the country illegally, all living in Southern California, have been charged by federal authorities for their alleged roles in a sweeping, multi-state conspiracy to install “skimming” devices on automated teller machines and checkout point-of-sale units at retail stores, officials announced Tuesday.

“Skimming devices allow fraudsters to read and capture account information and PIN numbers when customers swipe or insert their credit, debit, and EBT cards to complete a purchase on terminals where the devices have been attached,” a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s District of Rhode Island Office stated.

“The information obtained from the skimming devices is then used to create counterfeit cards that can be used to fraudulently obtain cash from victims’ bank accounts, or to make purchases.”

Authorities say that the individuals, four of which are citizens of Romania, one from Great Britain and another from Ireland who have all been living in Orange County, allegedly withdrew as much as $300,000 from the bank accounts of unsuspecting victims and have made a yet unknown number of retail purchases.

The alleged operation was discovered in October 2023 when police in Bristol, Rhode Island began an investigation into where skimming devices discovered on ATMs at a local bank branch came from, the release noted.

Later, federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations recovered skimming devices from 22 separate locations of a major retailer in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and New York.

Irish citizen Armando Ion Codreanu, 23, who had been living in Placentia, is facing charges of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Three other defendants facing charges of conspiracy to commit access device fraud have been identified as:

• Isabela Ignat Codreanu, 23, of Anaheim and Placentia, CA, a citizen of Romania

• Robby Vicson Codreanu, 20, Placentia, CA, a citizen of Great Britain

• Mila Ciuciu, 20, of Placentia, CA, a citizen of Romania

Romanian and Irish citizen Nicolas Longin Codreanu, 21, who had been living in Placentia is currently in custody of the U.S. Marshals and faces charges of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

An arrest warrant has been issued for a sixth individual, identified as Romanian citizen Ionut Zamfir, 37, who has been living in Los Angeles. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

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“The scale, scope, and brazen nature of these defendants’ scheme to steal the financial account information of unsuspecting consumers and use it to help themselves to funds and property, as we have alleged in federal court, is staggering,” U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha said.  “I commend the superb work of Homeland Security Investigations, as well as our local law enforcement partners, for their diligent and effective work to disrupt this ring of thieves and ensure that those responsible face a reckoning in federal court.” 

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