Baytown, Texas In a decisive crackdown on credit card fraud, Baytown police apprehended Perla Miclescu, 25, and Rafael Rafaila, 20, in connection with a sophisticated credit card skimming scheme.
Harris County court documents say Miclescu and Rafaila were found in possession of advanced skimming devices, including ‘deep insert skimmers’ and ‘overlay pinhole cameras’, alongside 24 re-encoded credit cards.
Authorities revealed that Miclescu, identified as a Romanian citizen, and Rafaila are currently facing deportation proceedings. Additionally, both individuals have outstanding warrants for fraud-related offenses in various jurisdictions across the country.
Court records further unveiled Miclescu’s involvement in a 2019 robbery case in Colorado County, Texas, where she allegedly evaded court appearances after posting bond. Rafaila, on the other hand, faces pending charges for unlawful possession of a card skimming device in Indiana.
Jeff Roberts, Captain of Internal Operations at the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, emphasized the severity of the threat posed by ‘deep insert skimmers’, describing them as insidious devices surreptitiously installed within card readers. These devices, coupled with hidden pinhole cameras, clandestinely capture sensitive transaction data, including PIN numbers.
In light of this alarming trend, Roberts advocated for safer transaction methods such as tap-to-pay technologies, highlighting the vulnerability of magnetic strip cards to theft. He emphasized the security offered by mobile payment solutions like Apple Pay and Google Pay, which circumvent traditional swipe-based transactions.
The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center reported a significant uptick in credit card fraud incidents, with 445 credit card skimmers seized and 5,574 fraudulent credit cards intercepted over the past two years. Their efforts have resulted in the prevention of over $171 million in monetary losses attributable to fraud in Texas.
Both suspects are currently detained at the Harris County jail, each held on a $200,000 bond.