The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Los Angeles, has identified five men allegedly involved in a fraudulent scheme that targets Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) users. The men, Birdal Osman, Walerian Grabowski, Ilie-Sebastian-Laur Vasilescu, Bogdan Adrian Purgariu, and Silviu-Florin Spiridon, are accused of illegally installing skimming devices on point-of-sale terminals to gather data from victim's EBT cards, according to a KTLA report.
The FBI needs the public's help to find these individuals who are charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, as was announced on Twitter on yesterday. Last known to have been in Southern California, their current locations are unknown. The bureau is urging anyone with information about the suspects to get in touch with their Los Angeles Field Office or visit their official website.
Please help us locate five individuals #wanted for allegedly defrauding recipients of a federal benefits program by installing skimming devices on point-of-sale terminals to illegally access funds in victims' EBT cards. Call #FBILosAngeles at 3104776565 with tips. #FugitiveFriday pic.twitter.com/OZm5UYdo9r
— FBI Los Angeles (@FBILosAngeles) September 29, 2023
The ongoing investigation not only targets the apprehension of the suspects but also assesses the effects these scams have for users of the EBT system. Federal benefits like the EBT provide crucial assistance to various families. The suspects' alleged actions do not just impact individual victims' finances. They actually threatens the overall security and trust in these systems.
