Card Skimming Ring Busted in Birmingham, Alabama

0:00Welcome to Birmingham News Today, two minutes of news that mattered to Birmingham. Federal agents have busted a card-skimming ring targeting stores around Birmingham, Alabama, as part of a larger probe into public assistance fraud, two Romanian nationals, Cosmon Vadova and Elena Andrea Caderariasa, face charges of conspiracy to commit access to vice fraud and related offenses. They were arrested during a traffic stop in Grenada County, Mississippi on March 12. Earlier this month, the Birmingham Cyber Fraud Task Force and U.S. Secret Service found a skimming device at a family dollar store in late February. Agents then checked dozens of locations, and uncovered more devices in places like leads, Vistavia hills, homewood, midfield and tarant. Surveillance footage helped identify the suspects in their white Toyota Highlander. The bus has shed light on the huge impact at EBT fraud in Alabama, with the Department of Human Resources reported nearly 40,000 stolen. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program claims from 2023 to 2025, totaling over $16,500,000.

1:07Most steps happened through skimming, cloning or fishing, often with unauthorized out-of-state ATM withdrawals. A search of the suspects vehicle revealed a hidden compartment with three skimming devices, tools to build more, $8,215. Dollars and cash, and dozens of cards, that led to even more scammers being found in the Birmingham area, including one store with the sign reading they were looking for the pair. Officials note the suspects are also wanted in Louisiana and Texas for similar crimes, and they remain in custody in Mississippi. To fight back, Alabama now blocks EBT out-of-state and online transactions, and rolled out chip-enabled cards this February. This story is made possible by a sponsor. Press play. Put your head down. The sound is already there. S-O-L-L-I, solelypillow.com