Walmart employees find 19 information-stealing devices after $10,000 was drained from customers’ bank accounts and 30,000 card numbers were stolen

THOUSANDS of customers had their financial information exposed after a criminal installed secret information-stealing devices on card readers in several states.

Walmart stores in New York, New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts were targeted by a scammer who managed to place 19 skimmers in different locations.

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Skimmers are illegal devices that criminals place on card readers or cash registers to capture customers’ financial information.

They often fit perfectly wherever they are placed, so that customers have no idea they are falling for a scam.

The skimmers were placed at the retailer between July 2 and 8, 2023, before a Walmart employee realized what was happening.

During this period, 27,144 credit card numbers and 2,195 debit card numbers were compromised, resulting in at least $10,000 in suspicious transactions.

On April 10, police filed criminal charges against suspect Romário Serban, who is believed to have placed the skimmers in the Northeast.

The accused criminal had entered the United States illegally.

“According to reports from the United States Customs and Border Patrol (“CBP”), the most recent travel information for Serban is that Serban left the United States in 2018 on a flight to Portugal,” according to the affidavit.

“CBP believes SERBAN likely returned to the United States illegally.”

Serban was found and arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina, for his alleged participation in “a fraudulent credit card fraud scheme involving 19 Walmart stores, located primarily in New York.”

THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS DISAPPEAR

Scammers aren’t just targeting Walmart with skimmer devices.

Police recently arrested Florin Tarta, 39, and Raul Macaron, 41, who were accused of placing skimmers at an unidentified financial institution in New Jersey and Illinois.

The two are suspected of being linked to 29 cases related to skimmer devices, Play in Westfield reported.

Police believe they found Tarta in surveillance footage placing the devices at ATMs in the area.

When authorities questioned him, they discovered he had $5,000 in $100 bills on him.

Macaron was driving the vehicle in which they arrived at the time.

The alleged criminals are believed to have stolen US$300,000 using skimmers.

“This was exemplary police work by Detectives Merritt and Carrero,” Chief Battiloro said in the news release.

“Their initiative and determination to resolve these cases through arrest must be commended.”