Two Romanian nationals are in federal custody for allegedly using card skimmers to steal PNC Bank customers' account numbers and then using those accounts to spend more than $200,000.
Alexandra Razvan Serb and Mihai Popa are charged with bank fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The Western Pennsylvania Financial Crimes Task Force got information from PNC Bank that in January, investigators learned that more than $200,000 in fraudulent credit and debit card purchases had been made in New York City and Washington, D.C. The investigators were able to trace the compromised accounts to ATMs in Pittsburgh, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case.
Video surveillance at the ATMs showed two white men installing what is known as a skimmer onto the machines. The skimmer, which goes undetected by customers, collects account information from the magnetic strip on debit and credit cards. The suspects installed the skimmer about five times, including twice at PNC's branch in Shaler Plaza on Route 8. They were arrested on April 15.
Both men, who had Romanian passports and American visas, waived their detention hearings and are in custody.