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Five foreign nationals have been charged over an alleged plot to install ATM card skimmers and create fake bank cards to swindle Australians out of their money.
A joint police operation between the Australian Federal Police (AFP), NSW Police and Queensland Police led to the arrest of the five people, who are alleged to be part of an international crime syndicate targeted by the US Secret Service.
It follows the United States Secret Service (USSS) arresting five Romanian nationals who were allegedly targeting Americans receiving welfare benefits via electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards.
They allege the accused installed ATM skimmers to clone a person’s EBT card details and PINs, then at the beginning of each month they would re-encode the cloned bank cards to visit ATMs and withdraw the newly loaded funds.
During a search, US authorities found a receipt for a consignment sent to Australia and tipped off the AFP.
The AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3) alleges syndicate members were operating in Australia and had allegedly received a number of suspicious packages believed to contain ATM skimmers sent from the United Kingdom, China and the US.
It is alleged one of the men arrested used multiple fake identities to open bank accounts, subscribe to telecommunication services and book short-term accommodation.
On August 4, the AFP and NSW Police executed a search warrant at a short-term rental property in Rhodes in Sydney’s inner-west.
They seized $12,935 in cash, multiple skimming devices, false identity documents, including passports, bank cards in other people’s names, electronic devices, card readers, SIM cards and handheld electrical tools.
Further inquiries led to officers discovering an alleged faction of the syndicate was operating in Brisbane.
The police identified an ATM syndicate members would likely attend and on August 3, investigators observed a 37-year-old man and 21-year-old man approach the ATM, where they were arrested.
The police executed a search warrant on an Upper Mount Gravatt property on August 4 where they arrested a 34-year-old Romanian man.
Two Romanian nationals, a man, 33, and a woman, 32, appeared in Parramatta Local Court on August 5 charged with producing a document, knowing the document was false or misleading and that the document was produced or purportedly produced under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act, possession, making or providing false foreign travel documents and possession or control of thing with intent to dishonestly obtain or deal in personal financial information.
The two face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, if found guilty, and will next appear in court on October 25.
A Romanian national, 37, and a Polish national, 21, appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 4 charged with two counts of possessing equipment for the purpose of committing/facilitating the commission of an offence and one count each of obtaining or dealing with identification information and obstruct police.
They face a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison, if found guilty, and will next appear in court on September 6.
A Romanian national, 34, has been charged with two counts of possessing equipment for purpose of committing/facilitating the commission of an offence and obtaining or dealing with identification information.
He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison, if found guilty, and will next appear at Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 23.
AFP Detective Superintendent Tim Stainton said Australia was a “lucrative target” for cybercriminals in the digital age.
“We know that personal data has become incredibly valuable to criminals,’’ he said.
“The AFP and our law enforcement partners will charge criminals who steal from hardworking Australians and bring offenders before the courts.”
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