Jersey Is Hit With Wave Of ATM Skimmers

Northern New Jersey is very quickly becoming the ATM skimmer capital of the East Coast. According to a number of local press reports, nearly a dozen skimmers have been discovered hin Union County in recent weeks, including Union Township, Springfield Township, Clark, Linden, Roselle and Roselle Park.

The devices, which capture data from customers' credit and debit cards, were discovered attached to both bank and independently operated units located in convenience stores. As one police official noted, the thieves seem to be targeting ATMs located at the rear of busy stores, out of direct line-of-sight of store personnel.

In the most high-profile case, Union Township police arrested two New Yorkers on Jan. 14 for installing a device on an ATM located in a 7-Eleven convenience store on Route 22. According to local law enforcement officials, Brooklyn resident Raul Rusescu, 35, and Queens resident Francesco Lippi, 33, were observed removing a device from the convenience store's ATM. At the time of the arrests, police discovered a number of disguises and four cellphones in the alleged thieves' vehicle.

Both Rusescu and Lippi are Romanian nationals who may be in the country illegally. Charged with a variety of crimes, including use of a scanning device, tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension, law enforcement officials believe they are members of a larger organized crime group.

BUSTED IN JERSEY:Raul Rusescu (l.) and Francesco Lippi are Romanian nationals who allegedly crossed over from New York to New Jersey to plant skimming devices on ATMs. Law enforcement officials believe they may be part of a larger crime ring.