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Romanian fraudster who fleeced £420,000 by filming victims entering PINs at ATMs to be deported after serving jail time
Toader Berendean, 38, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for his part in a gang that stole £420,000 by recording customers’ PINs at cash machines and cloning bank cards. He may be deported after serving his sentence, and the case highlights how stolen PIN data and weaknesses in banking systems can be used to enable large-scale fraud.
The fraud took place between August and September 2025 and involved withdrawals from Nationwide ATMs using cloned Italian bank cards. Police found card readers, cameras, tampering equipment and £8,000 in cash at Berendean’s home; CCTV showed him and others at cash points. He admitted four fraud-related offences, and the judge said he was not a leading participant.
In short
- Berendean received a four-year, nine-month prison sentence.
- A gang recorded PINs and used cloned cards to steal £420,000.
- He may be deported after serving his sentence.
Explained simply
Cash machines verify a withdrawal by checking both the bank card and its personal identification number, or PIN. Criminals can use hidden cameras or altered card slots to capture these details, then copy the card data to make cards that can be used to withdraw money.
The case involved cash machines operated by Nationwide and cards linked to Italian banks. Berendean was one of several people involved; police said equipment for capturing card details was found at his home, and CCTV showed him and others at cash points. PIN theft and card cloning matter because they can let criminals access multiple customers’ accounts before banks or cardholders spot the fraud.