Charges were filed yesterday against two Romanian nationals who were arrested for withdrawing cash from an automated teller machine (ATM) using fraudulent cards in barangay Tipolo, Mandaue City.
Stefania Mihaela Osman, 36, and Petro Ioan Uveges, 42, were charged for violating RA 8484 or the Access Devices Regulation Act, which is a bailable offense. Bail has not been set as of press time.
Supt. Marlon Tayaba, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Central Visayas (CIDG-7), said the suspects were still in their custody.
The two foreigners were arrested last Saturday night by CIDG-7 operatives after a month and a half of surveillance.
They were the second to fall for ATM card fraud.
Last September, Romanian national Gheorghe Adelin Stretcu was also arrested and charged for trying to illegally withdraw cash using different customer reward cards with magnetic strips.
Tayaba said the two suspects and Stretcu know each other.
All three possibly belong to the same international card fraud syndicate operating in the country, Tayaba added.
Confiscated from the suspects were Uveges’ driver’s license showing he is temporarily residing in Angeles City, Pampanga in Luzon, a white Toyota Innova, two wallets, mobile phones, a luxury bag and several reward cards of department stores under Osman’s name.