By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A repeat offender who was involved in ‘skimming’ 166 bank cards at ATMs across Melbourne has been jailed.
Florinel Camara, 33, pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to being part of a two-man crime wave that stole more than $35,000 from unsuspecting bank customers across Melbourne in April-July 2020.
Using a skimming device and a pinhole camera at ATMs, the pair stole bank account details and PINs at suburbs such as Springvale, Keysborough, Cranbourne, Chadstone, Clayton, Glen Waverley and Melbourne CBD.
They then transferred the data onto blank bank cards and made fraudulent account enquiries and withdrawals, sentencing judge Daniel Holding said on 1 December.
The pair, who were using false IDs and staying in various B&Bs, also made unsuccessful attempts to fraudulently withdraw another $38,000.
Judge Holding noted Camara’s extensive repeat offending, including being previously jailed for obtaining more than $184,000 from ATM skimming in 2014.
He’d also been jailed in 2019 for the same crime while released on parole.
Camara’s latest fraud was not as large in amount but its “sophistication and persistence” made it serious, Judge Holding found.
“The courts must denounce this type of sophisticated attack upon the proper functioning and security of ATM machines,” Judge Holding said.
“Such machines are in everyday use by the community and it’s important that their proper functioning is not compromised by criminal activity.”
The Romanian-born Camara had not been gainfully employed since arriving in Australia in 2012.
He’d instead spiralled into regular cocaine, alcohol and occasional meth abuse.
The Australian citizen indicated that after his sentence, he’d return to Romania to work in a family business.
Camara’s partner in this crime was jailed for up to 21 months, with a 15-month non-parole period. Camara was no more or less culpable in their conspiracy.
Unlike Camara, the co-conspirator was not previously convicted for ATM skimming and faced possible deportation, Judge Holding said.
He was jailed for up to three years, with a two year and four month non-parole period.
The term includes 807 days in pre-sentence detention.
