Four Moldovans held for stealing money using hacked ATM cards

KATHMANDU: Four more foreigners have been arrested on charge of hacking ATM cards and stealing money from bank clients' accounts in Nepal. All of them bear Moldovan passports.

In a raid at a Thamel-based hotel, a team from Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau seized a cache of 497 ATM cards, a skimming device and a laptop from the suspects’ possession on Sunday.

Hi-tech thieves are found to be stealthily planting skimming devices at the ATM booths to steal digital information from the electronic cards when they are swiped.

The suspects are identified as 25-year-old Nicu Deordija Pa (Passport No. AA1018367), 34-year-old Vasile Fetscu Pa aka Alex (PP No. AA1113676), 32-year-old Iuries Dermenji Pa (PP No. B0880204), 36-year-old Eugeniu Deorija Pa (PP No. AA1112951). Three of them bear Romanian passports also.

They were staying in two different rooms at the Nepalaya Hotel.

The CIB said it had received a tip off that some foreigners were stealing money from the ATM booths in Kathmandu and exchanging Nepali currency to Euro and US dollar.

After receiving a a CCTV footage from the Nepal Investment, a team started following Iurie Dermenji Pa from the Global IME Bank's ATM at Kantipath and arrested him and three of his friends.

Police said they found Rs 7,81,550; USD 1,6500; Euro 2,245 in their possession.

Police had arrested a Russian national on charge of hacking ATM data of bank clients and stealing cash from an ATM booth in Kathmandu yesterday.

The CIB said it earlier arrested 11 foreigners, including four Romanians, three Turkish, two Bulgarians and two Indians, after they were found to be involved in ATM frauds in Nepal.

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