Romanian Fraudster used secret pinhole camera to skim 9000 Pin numbers worth 3million pounds from single cash machine.

• Police believe Leonid Rotaru was part of a well-organised criminal gang
• He was already on the run from the police in the UK for similar offences when he was caught

By Mail Reporter

A Romanian who used a cash machine skimming device to obtain 9,000 PINs was facing jail yesterday.

Leonid Rotaru, 32, was caught red handed as he returned to collect a card reader from an ATM he had tampered with.

Police raided his home and found details of 9,000 bank cards on his home computer which could potentially have allowed him to steal as much as £3.25million.

Barry Douglas, of Avon and Somerset police Economic Crime Unit, said Rotaru was part of a well-organised criminal enterprise. 

‘You can tell from the quality of the equipment that was attached to the ATM, you can tell from the amount of detail that was found on the computer,’ he said.

‘This was well organised, well orchestrated and with good criminal connections.’

Rotaru used a highly sophisticated card reader which fitted over the entry slot of ATM machines.

Users would unwittingly pass their card through the device, which would record the details stamped on it. 

A tiny pinhole camera would then film the victim entering their PIN.

Mr Douglas said: ‘It fits over the card slot on an ATM and as the card goes in it will read your details off the card.

‘The camera will see you put your pin in. It will see your finger strokes and it will know which card it goes with.’

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