SYDNEY — Gabriel Niculescu-Stoian, 48, and Alexandru Tulba, 41, were charged Friday with dishonestly obtaining financial information and dealing with proceeds of crime after allegedly tampering with ATMs across Sydney and the NSW Illawarra region.
The men reportedly installed skimming devices in ATMs at multiple locations including Chatswood, Darlinghurst, Burwood, Haymarket, Warilla, Shellharbour, and others, stealing more than $800,000 from unsuspecting victims. The stolen bank card data was cloned and used to withdraw cash illegally.
Federal police arrested the pair at a Chatswood residence, seizing a fake passport and nearly $1 million in cash. Tulba also faces charges related to possession of a false travel document and providing false information to authorities.
Police warn customers who used ATMs in the affected areas to check their bank accounts and report unauthorized transactions immediately.
Authorities are investigating possible connections to a similar scam in 2023 and potential links to a larger criminal syndicate.
