THREE "rotten" Romanian scammers have been jailed after they admitted stealing bank customers' cards and PINs.
The trio bought the equipment over the internet and hid a mobile phone camera above the PIN keys of an automatic telling machine (ATM) and installed another machine which swallowed the card, before withdrawing cash illegally.
Yesterday at Gloucester Crown Court, recorder John Trevaskis said if police hadn't caught Lucian Florin Dascalescu, 28, of Red Lane in Coventry, Mihai Marian Dragan, 27, of Red Lane in Coventry and Cristian Robert Tudor, 21, they would have carried on with their scam. And police warned all bank customers to shield their PIN from view when using an ATM.
All three were involved in ripping off Hucclecote Santander branch customer Ian Fitton-Kearns of £87 after they stole his card then took cash and went shopping with it on April 25.
Their next intended victim, Gilda Marques, alerted police after an ATM in Bath Road, Cheltenham, swallowed her card. Officers tracked the trio and arrested them before they could use the card.
In a victim impact statement, Ms Marques said it was a "rotten" thing to do.
"How can people be so cruel as to do this?" she stated. "People trying to take money like this are rotten."
Dascalescu and Dragan, who arrived in the UK in February, were jailed for 18 months and Tudor for 13.
All three are likely to be deported after they have served their sentences.
Judge Trevaskis agreed that Tudor was not the main player in the conspiracy, but said "quick action by the police" meant more stealing was nipped in the bud.
"You made the choice to live by proceeds of crime rather than by work and you used what money you had to buy this equipment over the internet," he said.
After the hearing, PC Annabel Brittain said the force was on the trail of scammers like these but people should shield their PINs.
"When you use a cash machine, always be vigilant," she said.
"Before you key in your PIN, put your hand over the pad.
"It's very stressful when this happens, though you may be recompensed by the bank, but these people came to Gloucester and Cheltenham to commit these crimes.
"I am sure they would have carried on using this equipment. I'm delighted these men have been convicted and jailed and I'm determined to make Gloucestershire a no-go county for criminal gangs like this.
"The message is clear – if you intend to carry out scams like this here we are wise to you and you should think twice."
All three have been on remand since April 25 and will serve time minus that period. They will be deported but can appeal.
