A Romanian national was sentenced Monday in federal court for placing skimmer devices on credit card readers in various Mississippi counties, according to the office of Attorney General Lynn Fitch.
Giovanni Iortoman, 21, pled guilty to one count of illegal possession, production, or trafficking of device-making equipment. On December 8, Federal Judge Kristi H. Johnson sentenced him to 12 months in federal prison and $1,911 in reparation. According to authorities, Iortoman entered the United States unlawfully and will be deported after his term is completed.
Investigators from the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, working with the Madison Police Department, the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, and the United States Secret Service, said Iortoman was witnessed putting skimmer devices on payment terminals in Jones, Madison, and Laurel counties. Skimmers are put on card readers to steal financial information from unsuspecting customers.
“Thanks to vigilant store employees and the diligent work of our Cyber Fraud Task Force, we were able to stop this theft scheme in its tracks,” according to a statement from Fitch. “We look forward to holding all of those involved accountable.”
A second individual involved in the investigation is expected to be sentenced later.
The Attorney General’s Office advised consumers to use tap-to-pay or chip readers wherever possible and to look for indicators of tampering, such as card readers that looked loose, bulky, or mismatched with nearby terminals. So far this year, the agency has recovered 15 skimmer devices statewide, including one discovered during Operation S.A.F.E., a statewide program to combat card-skimming fraud.
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