Alleged ATM skimmers arrested at GN bank

Dan Glaun

Nassau County police have arrested two men accused of skimming more than $13,700 from tristate TD Bank ATMs after an investigation at two banks in Great Neck.

Dezso Gyapias, 28, and Ioan Leusca, 29, both of no listed address, were charged with grand larceny for thefts allegedly committed between Dec. 16 and the day of their arrest, Jan. 13.

ATM skimming is a form of identity theft where skimmers use fake card readers and keyboards as well as hidden cameras installed at ATMs to discover the card numbers and PINs of bank customers. 

Leusca and Gyapias allegedly used skimming devices and re-encoded bank cards to illegally withdraw funds, according to police.

Police arrested Gyapias and Leusca without incident the morning of the Jan. 13 while they were allegedly conducting transaction at an ATM on Great Neck Road.

Skimming has drawn increased attention in recent years. 

In one 2011 case, three men were charged with stealing almost $300,000 from the accounts of 1,500 Chase Bank customers using skimming devices installed at four Manhattan ATMs.

It has also drawn attention from Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington,) who held a press conference in October warning against what he called a $1 billion and growing criminal enterprise.

Gyapias and Luesca were also charged with possession of a forged instrument and scheming to defraud.

The alleged scammers were each issued a $100,000 bail in Nassau 1st District Court in Jan. 14, which they failed to post.

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