DOJ reports two Romanian nationals were sentenced for conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. The case centers on a card-skimmer conspiracy involving theft of payment card data.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that two Romanian nationals were sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia for their roles in a card-skimmer conspiracy. DOJ said the defendants were convicted for conspiracy to commit access device fraud and for aggravated identity theft, with the conduct focused on stealing payment card data. Card-skimming conspiracies are designed to harvest information from payment cards—information that can then be used to create fraudulent transactions or to compromise accounts. DOJ’s announcement indicates that the government treated the scheme as both access-device fraud and identity theft, reflecting the dual harm caused by unauthorized capture of card details and the resulting downstream misuse of victims’ identities. The case underscores that payment-card theft is not limited to individual operators; conspirators can coordinate equipment, logistics, and data collection to expand the impact of skimming operations. By securing sentences tied to aggravated identity theft, prosecutors emphasized that the fraud extended beyond mere capture of card information and into the exploitation of identities connected to those payment accounts. For businesses and consumers, the enforcement action highlights the importance of layered payment security, monitoring for suspicious card-present activity, and prompt reporting of suspected unauthorized transactions. The sentencing also signals continued prioritization of access-device fraud cases.