Five foreign nationals arrested in alleged card skimming scam on Australian ATMs

Five alleged members of an international syndicate accused of fitting card skimmers to Australian ATMs have been arrested in Brisbane and Sydney after a tip-off from US authorities.

Three foreign nationals – from Romania and Poland -- were arrested in Brisbane in early August after the National Australia Bank found a card skimming device and pinhole camera fitted to an ATM in Queen Street, according to Queensland Police.

Two other Romanians were arrested in Sydney after a search warrant found similar devices and false documents including bank cards, the Australian Federal Police said in a statement.

The arrests followed a tip-off by the United States Secret Service (USSS), which arrested five Romanian nationals accused of targeting people who received US welfare payments, the AFP said.

The group allegedly used ATM skimmers to steal card numbers and pins and then used cloned cards to withdraw welfare payments as soon as they were deposited.

During their investigation, US authorities found a receipt for a shipment to Australia and the AFP's Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPCC) began investigating.

In Australia, members of the alleged syndicate received packages believed to contain ATM skimmers from the United Kingdom, China and the US, the AFP said.

AFP Detective Superintendent Tim Stainton said Australia was a lucrative target for cybercriminals.

"In this digital age, we know that personal data has become incredibly valuable to criminals,'' Detective Superintendent Stainton said.

On August 2, the National Australia Bank alerted police to a card skimming device and pinhole camera found on one of its ATMs in Brisbane's CBD.

Cyber detectives began monitoring the ATM and the next day intercepted two men, aged 37 and 21, from Romania and Poland, respectively, who were seen approaching the machine and ran away when confronted.

On August 4, search warrants were executed in Brisbane and Sydney in relation to the alleged scam.

In Brisbane, a Romanian man, 34, was arrested after a search of a property and car in Mount Gravatt allegedly uncovered items including pinhole cameras and several fraudulent bank cards.

Police also seized a package from a Brisbane postal facility containing two card skimming devices they said was to be delivered to the same man under a false name, Queensland Police said.

In Sydney, officers searched a short-term rental in Rhodes and seized almost $13,000 in cash, multiple skimming devices, false identity documents including passports and bank cards, electronic devices and tools, the AFP said.

Two Romanian nationals, aged 33 and 32, were arrested in Sydney and face charges including producing misleading documents and making false foreign travel documents.

It is alleged one of the five people arrested used multiple fake identities to open bank accounts, subscribe to telecommunication services, and book short-term accommodation, the AFP said.

Detective Superintendent Craig McGrath, commander of the Financial and Cyber Crime Group, urged people who notice fraudulent transactions on their bank statements to contact police.

"Stealing someone's personal information and hard-earned money is calculated and cruel, and anyone convicted of identity theft or possessing skimming devices faces a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment," he said.

All five alleged offenders have been remanded in custody and will face court again in the next few months.

If convicted they face maximum prison sentences of between five and 14 years.