Dothan, Ala. (WDNews) —
A Brooklyn, N.Y., man has been arrested in connection to an ATM skimming operation in Houston County, according to court records.
Patrick Zatreanu, 22, was taken into custody on July 24 and is facing charges related to financial fraud and property theft. Authorities say Zatreanu used an illegal skimming device to collect data from unsuspecting ATM users in April 2024.
According to Lieutenant Scott Owens from the Dothan Police Department, Zatreanu is one person who is a part of a larger group who stole over $100,000 from several customers from a Dothan bank.
Owens told WDNews that they will not be identifying the bank, but they have reimbursed the stolen money to their customers.
According to court documents, Zatreanu is charged with encoded data fraud, a felony offense involving the use of a scanning device to capture debit or credit card information without consent. He is also charged with first-degree theft of property.
The case involves the unauthorized collection and use of bank card data, which can result in large financial losses for victims. Law enforcement officials are continuing to investigate whether other individuals may have been involved or targeted in the scheme.
Zatreanu remains in the Houston County Jail with a combined bond set at $45,000. He is scheduled for arraignment on August 12, with a jury trial set for September 23, 2025.
According to Owens, precautions you can take is to check your bank account regularly to catch fraudulent charges as soon as possible. If there are any suspicious charges, report them to your bank.
Other sources say to be cautious when using an ATM machine and check for signs of tampering before using them.
