Global Courant 2023-04-28 21:46:10
Thirteen people were arrested Tuesday at a Van Nuys motel suspected of carrying out an identity and electronic transfer card theft and having ties to a Romanian syndicate, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Authorities found credit card skimming devices, card readers, more than $36,000 and a large number of fake IDs and documents when they issued a search warrant at a motel in the 4700 block of Sepulveda Boulevard, the LAPD said in a press release.
Police acted on a tip from the community about the suspects, who may be part of a Romanian syndicate known to target people struggling financially for their EBT cards, the LAPD said.
The LAPD said the suspects stole millions from ATMs using card skimmers to drain money from EBT accounts in California.
The LAPD said it has been working with the U.S. Secret Service and other federal and local law enforcement agencies for the past two years as part of the Southern California High Tech Task Force, which looks into EBT fraud.
In Los Angeles County, officials say more than $19.6 million in EBT benefits were stolen in 2022 — a more than 20-fold increase from the previous year, when the county lost less than $1 million. In January alone, the county lost more than $2.9 million — a record one-month loss.
Times staff writer Rebecca Ellis contributed to this report.
