A resident of Romania who is an illegal alien has been found guilty of using digital devices to split into ATMs to steal money from public assistance benefits accounts meant for low-income families in California.
Marius Oprea, 38, was sentenced to 75 months in prison for using fake debit cards to steal money from balances by fabricating them in the names of people who were enrolled in the security program’s names, according to a press release released on April 1.
On March 29, United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong sentenced Oprea to a$ 28 974 reparation order.
The convicted criminal admitted to using fake accounts to fraudulently withdraw money from Californians ‘ accounts while facing one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud in June.
According to the prosecution, Oprea was charged with being the band leader of the glancing staff, and documents obtained by the prosecution reveal that he had the items delivered to a P. O. Box he rented. Additionally, the prosecution alleged that Oprea maintained a database of names and records from which it was possible to steal funds from Los Angeles residents with reduced incomes:
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The state of California uses the Bank of America cards to distribute benefits to unemployed and disabled persons, and the procedure was focused on these cards.
The state system, according to the government, actually made it easier for Oprea’s fraud because state debit cards lack a certain level of security.
According to the government’s sentencing memo,” Oprea] illegally entered our country for one reason: to profit from the weaker ATM security here, which does n’t require cards containing computer chips.” ” He pursued scam like a complete- period job, netting thousands of victims ‘ accounts”.
The Prone Communities Task Force focuses on prosecuting individuals and organizations that prey on areas that are less likely to report atrocities to law enforcement and have generally had less lawful recourse to tackle those targeting them. The case was investigated by the FBI, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.
When using an ATM or card payment device, the FBI advises that card users pay particular attention to the card slots. Look for a hidden camera to record you entering your PIN number, check to see if the card slot appears too large or out of place, and even push on the card slot to check if it seems to be easily loosened from the face of the machine.
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