Two charged for credit card skimmer found at Sam’s Club
Two men who are accused of placing credit card skimmers at several Sam’s Club locations also targeted the store at Trinity Point Shopping Center.
South Strabane Township police charged Raul-Mihai Cojocaru, 40, and Constantin Colceag, 41, Wednesday with felonies for using a device to obtain encoded information and possession of a device that can read encoded information. Both suspects are Romanian nationals, according to court records.
Police were made aware of the skimmer on May 20 after employees discovered it on a self-checkout register. Surveillance footage showed two men placing the device on May 16.
Credit card skimmers steal information from the magnetic strip on a credit or debit card. The devices used at Sam’s Club were able to transmit stolen data via Bluetooth.
Cojocaru and Colceag were arrested by the Frazer Township police on May 20 for placing a credit card skimmer at Sam’s Club in the Allegheny County community the same day as the incident in South Strabane.
According to court records, security footage showed Cojocaru and Colceag at both stores, as well as them driving the same Chevrolet Equinox.
The Equinox was a rental car used by Cojocaru and Colceag to travel throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania, court paperwork states. The same car was seen at the Sam’s Club in Monroeville on May 18.
Monroeville Police filed felony charges of dealing in the proceeds of illegal activity, access device fraud and unlawful use of a computer against both men on May 27.
They had also been alerted to the existence of a skimmer on May 20. Court records state that Cojocaru and Colceag were caught by security cameras entering the store and leaving without making a purchase.
The pair also faces an access device fraud charge in Ohio Township, and they are being investigated for the same crime in Butler County, according to court records.
Cojocaru and Colceag are being held in the Allegheny County Jail on $25,000 bond. For the Frazer Township case, court records indicate the charges were waived for court. They are scheduled to appear before District Judge Michael Manfredi in South Strabane Township for a preliminary arraignment at 12:45 p.m. June 13.
Credit card skimmers are typically placed overtop the original card reader. Gas pumps and ATMs tend to be most commonly targeted. The Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities warns that gas pumps further away from the store with little surveillance are most likely to be targeted.
However, there are signs that a skimmer could be in use. The department of banking and securities recommends inspecting the card reader, and making sure it looks the same as the surrounding terminals. They also say to “wiggle” the card reader to see if it is loose.
The FBI recommends using cards with chip data, as they are less vulnerable to having data stolen. Using alternative payment methods such as Apple Pay also limits potential exposure to skimmers.