In a recent case, two Romanian nationals, Alexandru Ionut Gheorghe and Marian Aurelian Neacsu, were sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for installing credit card skimmers at stores across Mississippi. The scheme targeted federal food assistance benefits and could have resulted in more than $37.6 million in fraud losses. The investigation, conducted by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Cyber Fraud Task Force and the U.S. Secret Service, revealed over 15 skimmers installed in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana. Stolen data, including SNAP benefits, led to fraudulent purchases in states as far away as New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Gheorghe and Neacsu were ordered to pay $85,640 in restitution for the stolen SNAP benefits and will be deported upon release. A third defendant, Bogdan Gabriel Radu, also pleaded guilty to possession of device-making equipment and will be sentenced later. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch praised the collaborative effort in stopping the scheme and advised consumers to use tap-to-pay or chip-enabled terminals, inspect card readers for tampering, and report any suspicious devices to store management or authorities. For more information on protecting against skimming devices, visit the Mississippi Attorney General’s website.
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