Recently, several people have been arrested in connection to an investigation that began in 2024 in the United Kingdom. This involves a criminal organization originating from Romania that has implemented a new method to steal money from ATMs in several Western European countries and throughout Spain, having managed to accumulate a total of $630,000. The method they developed has been named “transaction cancellation method.” What does it consist of? The criminals would cancel the cash withdrawal at the ATMs just before the machine dispensed the money. This way, the transaction was never recorded but the money was still delivered.
The stolen money was laundered through real estate investments and the purchase of luxury items. It was in 2024 when the authorities alerted after noticing a distinctive symbol that the criminals used among themselves. It was a derogatory term for the police, which appeared on license plates, social media, and even on their clothing. After the arrest of two of the suspects, the authorities stated that this group was also responsible for identity theft, credit card fraud, and card cloning. The dismantling was able to take place thanks to the international operation between authorities from the United Kingdom, Romania, Spain, and Europol.
Europol
The European Police Office, founded in 1999, is the agency responsible for planning investigations and operations in countries belonging to the European Union. It specializes in those operations that involve criminal and terrorist organizations, and collaborates with the state authorities of each country.
Transaction void method
A criminal network originating from Romania has been operating in several countries in Western Europe, the UK, and Spain, stealing from ATMs, managing to acquire a loot of $630,000. How have they managed to operate in so many countries without being caught and have stolen such an amount? The method they used is objectively simple.
The method was named the “transaction void method,” and it worked as follows: the accused manipulated ATMs by removing the screens, inserting a card, and selecting the cash withdrawal option. When the transaction was about to be processed, they canceled the operation, but the machine had already received the order to dispense the money. The most significant part of all this is that the transaction was not recorded, so the cash withdrawal was not recorded either. This is how they were able to steal across so many countries without being apprehended.
How were they caught?
The authorities had no leads until the very gang caused the spotlight to shine on them. The members used a derogatory term among themselves for the police, which was an identifying symbol. This symbol began to appear on license plates, social media, and even on their clothing, prompting the British police to pursue this lead in 2024. Recently, the arrest of two suspects in Romania took place, along with 18 raids across Spain, Romania, and other countries. As a result, assets such as real estate, high-end cars, and large sums of cash were seized.
More charges
Following the arrests and the multiple searches carried out by authorities from different countries, officials declared that they had been able to link this criminal network to other crimes such as credit card fraud, card cloning, and identity theft. This arrest and dismantling would not have been possible without the collaboration of the authorities from the United Kingdom, Romania, Spain, and Europol, who were able to catch these thieves thanks to their joint efforts.
The sophistication of the gangs that carry out these types of robberies and frauds is growing every day. That is why we need to be aware, very careful, and very attentive to these possible scams, because even though it is a robbery from the banks, the money is directly from our bank accounts!