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Press Release

Notification Advisory For Victims Affected By ATM-Skimming From August 2019 To July 2020

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska
Victims should contact U.S. Attorney's Office Victim Witness Unit at (907) 271-3041

Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced Marcus Catalin Rosu, 39, was charged in an Information for possession of access device-making equipment in connection with an alleged ATM skimmer fraud scheme affecting hundreds of bank and credit union customers in Alaska and elsewhere.

According to public court filings, Rosu became the subject of a federal investigation when the United States Postal Inspection Service intercepted a package containing hundreds of fraudulent banks cards in February 2019. USPIS and the Alaska State Troopers investigated allegations of ATM-skimming occurring at credit unions in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley. Following the investigation of a report of ATM-skimming occurring at a Matanuska Valley Family Credit Union in Willow, law enforcement arrested Marcus Rosu at a rental car company in July 2020. After his arrest, law enforcement searched Rosu’s hotel room. Hidden above the hotel room’s ceiling tiles, they found more than 1,000 magnetic strip cards, a laptop computer and a magnetic strip reader-encoder. 

Due to the large number of potential victims in this case, United States Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble issued an order permitting the government to employ alternative victim notification procedures so that any member of the community at large who believes they may be a crime victim is made aware of their potential rights.

The government is asking that members of the community who believe they may be a victim of Rosu’s criminal activities, to contact the Victim-Witness Unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Alaska at (907) 271-3041. The Victim-Witness Program of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Alaska, provides information, services, and support to individuals during federal prosecutions.

Case updates will be provided on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Alaska website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ak/case-updates.

An Information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. A virtual hearing in this case is scheduled for January 5, 2021 at 10 a.m.

This case was the product of an investigation conducted by the United State Postal Inspection Service, the Alaska State Troopers, with assistance from the Airport Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Vandergaw. 

Updated December 17, 2020

Topic
Financial Fraud
Component
Press Release Number: 20-079