Alleged card skimming fraudsters front court in Melbourne

Two alleged scammers, including an American bulldog breeder, allegedly siphoned off more than 100k from the bank accounts of innocent Victorians by using cloned cards.

Romanian national Robert Marincat is one of two people accused of siphoning off money from ATMs across Victoria using skimming devices.

Two foreign nationals alleged to be behind the siphoning of more than $100,000 from the bank accounts of innocent Victorians by using cloned cards will be back in court in April.

Romanian national Robert Marincat, 34, and Hubert Krawczyk, 22, of Poland, were extradited from Queensland over the alleged offending.

The Eastern European nationals are believed to be part of a Romanian organised crime syndicate.

They will be back in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on April 17 when a decision on whether they should stand trial will likely be made.

Mr Krawczyk is in Australia on a student visa and has previously worked in the UK as a real estate agent.

Cameras, card skimming equipment and fake identity documents found in a raid in Queensland.

Mr Marincat had previously been living in the UK with his partner and child working as a breeder of American bulldogs which sold for up to $15,000 each.

In Victoria, police allege the men were involved in at least 44 events of using cloned cards linked with the ‘deep skimming’ insert device, fraudulently withdrawing at least $102,000.

It’s also alleged the men had been using disguises including glasses, face masks and scarfs as well as using a hire vehicle which had been leased using assumed identities.

Police started investigating in June last year when authorities became aware of a number of card skimming events specifically targeting NAB and Commonwealth Bank ATMs throughout Victoria, Queensland and NSW.

Police believe a Romanian organised crime syndicate which has global links and targets financial institutions through the use of highly sophisticated means, including deep insert skimming devices, is involved.