The FBI is still searching for four men wanted for allegedly stealing more than $200,000 in EBT (electronic benefit transfer) funds from over 300 victims.
Each of the four men was last seen in Southern California, the FBI says, although where in SoCal and when is not known.
Federal authorities detailed the group’s method of installing skimmers on point of sale terminals on each of their wanted pages:
“[The four men] are being sought for their alleged roles in a scheme to defraud the recipients of a federal benefits program by installing skimming devices on various points of sale terminals in California in order to unlawfully access the funds in the victims’ EBT card. The subjects allegedly made and installed skimming devices, often small in size, with the capability to record, store or transmit data.
Some of these devices could be installed inside standalone point of sale terminals — a gas station pump or ATM, for example — out of view of customers, and were designed to intercept data from access devices that were swiped. A very small camera was also attached to point sale terminals to record customers entering their PIN numbers. The information recovered from or transmitted by a skimming device then could be used alone or in conjunction with another access device to incur charges or withdraw funds from a victim’s account without the victim’s consent, knowledge, or authorization.”
According to federal officials, all of the men are wanted for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Federal warrants for each of them were issued on April 19, 2023.
Ilie-Sebastian-Laur Vasilescu
- Date of birth used: July 20, 1998 (26)
- Height: 5’9″
- Weight: 198 pounds
- Alias: “Fabian Majewski”
- Click here to view his wanted poster
Bogdan Adrian Pugariu
- Date of birth used: May 15, 1987 (37)
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 231 pounds
- Aliases: “Simon Bertak,” “Stephen Sawicki”
- Click here to view his wanted poster
Birdal Osman
- Date of birth used: March 25, 1981 (44)
- Height: 5’9″
- Weight: 189 pounds
- Alias: “Ludwik Jasinski”
- Click here to view his wanted poster
Silviu-Florin Spiridon
- Date of birth used: March 29, 1991 (34)
- Height: 5’11”
- Weight: 136 pounds
- Aliases: “Milan Rasek,” “Teofil Nowicki”
- Click here to view his wanted poster
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of any of these men is urged to call the FBI Los Angeles Field Office (310-477-6565), contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate or submit tips online at www.tips.fbi.gov.
Click here to view the full list of individuals wanted in relation to cases involving the FBI Los Angeles Field Office.
