Three Romanian nationals tied to an Oklahoma City-area ATM skimming operation are headed to federal prison after authorities said their devices helped steal nearly $200,000 from victims nationwide. The scheme relied on hidden hardware that quietly harvested debit-card data and PINs while customers thought they were making ordinary cash withdrawals.
According to KOKH News, Sebastian Bulacu, 37, Florin Radu, 42, and Valentin Alexandru, 36, traveled through the Oklahoma City area in January 2025 to install skimming devices on ATMs. Officials said the operation caused $193,598 in losses to unsuspecting victims across the country, including Oklahoma.
How The ATM Trap Works
The devices are designed to capture information from debit cards and record the PIN numbers customers enter, giving criminals the pieces needed to reach bank accounts. In a separate Oklahoma case, the U.S. Department of Justice described skimmers hidden inside ATM card readers paired with tiny cameras that filmed customers typing their PINs.
The broader backdrop in Oklahoma is a recent run of card-skimming investigations. In October 2024, Oklahoma Human Services said law enforcement had removed nine skimmers from convenience stores and grocery stores in the Oklahoma City metro, with additional devices found in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas, Blanchard and Enid…