Two Romanians have been jailed after using ‘shimming’ devices to copy their victims’ card details at ATMs and steal $36,000.
A 34-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were sentenced to four and two years in prison respectively on Friday after putting shimmers on ATMs in Sydney and Melbourne.
“ATM shimmers are thin, card-sized metal devices that act as a spacer when inserted into the card slot of an ATM,” the Australian Federal Police said in a statement.
‘The devices are designed to record the data on the card’s magnetic stripe and chip so that the offender can later consult it if the shimmer is recovered.’
In August 2023, AFP officers searched a home in Rhodes, in Sydney’s Inner West district, and the man and woman’s rental car.
They seized $12,935 in cash, multiple shimming devices, false IDs, electronic devices, card readers and SIM cards. The pair were arrested shortly after.
AFP launched an investigation into the scam after receiving an alert from the US Secret Service about a shipment of ATM shimmers being sent to Australia.
Investigators were able to identify the Romanians through a series of suspicious packages sent from the United Kingdom, China and the United States.
Two Romanians have been arrested after using ‘shimming’ ATMs to clone victims’ card details and steal $36,000 (pictured is one of the scammers)
A 34-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were sentenced to four years and two years in prison respectively on Friday after putting shimmers on ATMs (money is pictured found on their property)
The two Romanians targeted several ATMs in Sydney and Melbourne before their arrest in August 2023 (stock image)
Officers later observed the pair installing the shimming devices in ATMs in Melbourne and Sydney, before going to banks to withdraw or transfer money using stolen card details.
Both the man and woman pleaded guilty to various fraud charges in May and were sentenced to prison terms in Sydney’s Campbelltown District Court on Friday.
The man faces a prison sentence of four years and two months, of which two years and six months without the possibility of conditional release.
The woman was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, of which one year and six months without the possibility of parole.
She will be eligible for parole from February 3, 2025.
It is expected that both will be deported after serving their sentences.
AFP Chief Inspector Tim Stainton said the arrests were a “great example” of the ability of the AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre to tackle financial crime.
Both the man and woman pleaded guilty to various fraud charges in May and were sentenced to prison in Sydney’s Campbelltown District Court on Friday (pictured is one of the fraudsters)
The pair used a ‘shimming’ device (pictured) to clone ATM users’ card details
Officers later watched the pair install the shimming devices in ATMs in Melbourne and Sydney, before going to banks to withdraw or transfer money using stolen card details (stock image)
“The intelligence sharing and joint investigations between the USSS, banks and state and territory police have helped us identify and prosecute cyber criminals who scam, rob and defraud innocent Australians,” he said.
‘Criminals will shamelessly use any means at their disposal to exploit people for their own greed, at the expense of Australians who are already struggling.
“This should be a reminder that wherever you are, your criminal actions can always be traced and the AFP will not hesitate to bring you to justice.”