Case 059: Osman, Purgariu, Vasilescu & Spiridon | Pinholes and Pin Numbers – California’s Welfare Card Crime Ring

They weren’t hacking Wall Street.They were skimming welfare cards — one pinhole camera at a time.In this episode of Fugitive Files, we expose the alleged scheme behind a federal indictment involving Birdal Osman, Bogdan Adrian Purgariu, Ilie-Sebastian-Laur Vasilescu, and Silviu-Florin Spiridon — four individuals accused of carrying out a coordinated bank fraud and identity theft ring in California.Between November 2021 and October 2022, the group allegedly installed skimming devices and pinhole cameras at ATMs and payment terminals, targeting Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards used by CalWORKs recipients — families and individuals relying on government aid to survive.According to the indictment, they used the stolen data to create cloned cards and fraudulently withdrew over $171,000 from more than 300 victim accounts, draining the funds of those least able to afford the loss.They are charged with:Conspiracy to commit bank fraudAggravated identity theftUse of unauthorized access devicesCriminal forfeiture of assets tied to the schemeAll four men are now wanted by the FBI, with active arrest warrants issued and a public call for tips to help bring them in.This wasn’t a high-tech cybercrime ring.It was quiet, cruel, and it struck where it hurt most — at the heart of public assistance.This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.