Romanian Nationals Arrested for Card Skimming at Amarillo Retailers
Three Romanian nationals, Sebastian Ionut Stefan Bratu, Francesco Matei, and Iosiv-Roberto Curea, have been arrested in connection with a card-skimming operation targeting retailers in Amarillo, Texas. The arrests were made on July 16 in San Antonio as part of an investigation by the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center. The suspects are charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, with cases expected to be prosecuted in multiple Texas counties. The investigation began in June after retailers reported finding skimming devices at point-of-sale terminals. The suspects allegedly installed these devices to steal Electronic Benefit Transfer card information and credit card data across several West Texas cities, including Amarillo, Abilene, Lubbock, and San Angelo. Authorities estimate that the operation could have resulted in $6 million in losses to Texas consumers and businesses. 
