Australian authorities arrested the five people who are alleged to be part of an international crime ring investigated by the United States Secret Service.
Earlier this year, the USSS arrested five Romanian nationals who were allegedly targeting US citizens receiving welfare benefits via electronic benefits transfer cards.
Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Tim Stainton said personal information is becoming increasingly targeted by criminals.
"Australia remains a lucrative target for cybercriminals and in this digital age, we know that personal data has become incredibly valuable to criminals," he said.
Stainton said while some other alleged members of the crime syndicate fled Australia, others were identified and were hiding in the local community.
"We're well advanced in terms of their activities and are monitoring them on an ongoing basis," he said.
The alleged offenders installed ATM skimmers to clone the victims' electronic benefits transfer card details and PINs.
At the start of each month the crime syndicate re-encoded the cloned bank cards to visit ATMs and withdraw the newly loaded funds.
During a search of one of the alleged offenders, US authorities found a receipt for a consignment sent to Australia and alerted the AFP.
The AFP alleges members of the crime ring were operating in Australia and had allegedly received suspicious packages believed to contain ATM skimmers sent from the China, Britain and the US.
One of the men arrested has been accused of using fake identities to open bank accounts, subscribe to telecommunication services and book short-term accommodation.
The AFP and NSW Police on August 4 raided a short-term rental property in Rhodes in Sydney's inner-west.
They seized $12,935 in cash, skimming devices, false identity documents, including passports, bank cards in other people's names, electronic devices, card readers, SIM cards and handheld electrical tools.
Following further investigations, police discovered an alleged faction of the syndicate operating in Brisbane.
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Officers established an ATM the syndicate members would likely go to and on August 3, investigators observed a 37-year-old man and 21-year-old man approach the ATM, where they were arrested.
The next day police raided a property in Upper Mount Gravatt, south west Brisbane, where they arrested a 34-year-old man.
Two Romanian nationals — a man, 33; and a woman, 32; appeared in Parramatta Local Court, Sydney, on August 5 charged with producing a document, knowing the document was false or misleading and that the document was produced or purportedly produced under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act, possession, making or providing false foreign travel documents and possession or control of thing with intent to dishonestly obtain or deal in personal financial information.
If found guilty, they face a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment. They are next due in court on October 25.
A Romanian national, 37; and a Polish national, 21; fronted Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 4 charged with two counts of possessing equipment for the purpose of committing/facilitating the commission of an offence and one count each of obtaining or dealing with identification information and obstruct police.
They face a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison, if found guilty, and are scheduled to appear in court on September 6.
A Romanian national, 34, has been charged with two counts of possessing equipment for purpose of committing/facilitating the commission of an offence and obtaining or dealing with identification information.
He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, if found guilty, and will next appear at Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 23.
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2023-08-13 09:14:50Z
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