SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Scottsdale Police have arrested three men in connection with a credit card skimming scam targeting ATMs in Phoenix and Scottsdale, while also searching for a fourth suspect.
Fernando Cojocaru, Robert Oletanu, and Filon Petrican face six felony charges, including fraud, following their initial court appearance on October 3. The investigation began on August 30 when a 911 call reported unauthorized ATM transactions on a card that had neither been lost nor stolen.
Detectives discovered illegal skimming devices installed in ATMs across various locations, including Circle K, Quik Trip, 7-Eleven, Walgreens, CVS, Bank of America, and a U.S. Bank ATM. Cojocaru and Oletanu allegedly placed these skimmers, which secretly collect credit card information while allowing legitimate transactions to occur.
Burton Kelso, a cybersecurity expert, explained that skimmers operate discreetly to capture credit card data for later use. “What the skimmer does is it allows the consumer to make a purchase while scanning credit card information in the background,” he said.
Filon Petrican was apprehended during a police search of his brother’s Phoenix apartment, where authorities found a re-encoded gift card. Police suspect his brother, Eduard Ichim, who had been identified earlier through surveillance footage, fled before the warrant was executed.
Tim Roemer, Chief Security Officer of Global Market Innovators, noted the ingenuity of criminals in utilizing gift cards for fraudulent activities, as they are untraceable and easy to exploit.
Kelso added, “It’s concerning that you might think your local bank’s ATM is safe, but this highlights how sophisticated these criminals have become.”
