Credit card skimmer found at Plum Shop ’n Save after almost a month; 2 men charged

Two men suspected of placing credit card skimmers at grocery stores throughout the Pittsburgh area now are accused of doing the same thing in Plum, where a skimmer was in place at a store for nearly a month.

Plum police filed charges Sunday against Thomas Fuchs, 34, and Alexandru Dumitrascu, 39.

Fuchs and Dumitrascu placed a skimmer on the credit card reader in checkout aisle 6 at the Shop ’n Save on Golden Mile Highway on June 27, police said in criminal complaints against each man.

The store manager reported finding the skimmer, a device that collects credit card information, on July 21 when a customer was having a problem with their credit card transaction going through. The skimmer came loose when the cashier lifted the card reader.

Fuchs and Dumitrascu are accused of placing credit card skimmers at Community Supermarket in Lower Burrell and another Shop ’n Save in Scott Township.

After becoming aware of the other skimming incidents, Plum police received information about an SUV with California plates the suspects were driving and used the license plate reader system to track its movements, including when it arrived at the Shop ’n Save on Golden Mile Highway on June 27.

According to the complaints, Fuchs and Dumitrascu were seen on the store’s security footage in the register 6 checkout aisle, a staffed checkout. Fuchs is seen removing the privacy shield from the card reader and putting it in his pocket, and then taking the skimmer out of his pocket and placing it on the reader.

Fuchs paid for their purchase in cash, then was seen pressing on the skimmer to be sure it was in place, the complaint says.

Plum police spoke with their Scott Township counterparts, who said Fuchs and Dumitrascu had done the same thing at a Shop ’n Save in their town. Bellevue police had found their vehicle, according to the Plum complaint.

Fuchs and Dumitrascu each gave false names after they were arrested and taken to the Allegheny County Jail. After initially being booked as John Does, the jail’s identification department provided Plum police with their real names.

Plum police charged Fuchs and Dumitrascu with three counts each of criminal attempted access device fraud and one count each of criminal conspiracy and possessing instruments of crime. Fuchs also is charged with criminal mischief.

Fuchs and Dumitrascu were released from the county jail on July 21 after posting bond in their Scott Township cases, according to court records. Fuchs’ bail was $2,000; Dumitrascu’s bail was $5,000.

They are scheduled for preliminary hearings Aug. 1 before Scott Township District Judge Craig C. Stephens.