LAPD arrests 13 fraud suspects, possibly part of Romanian "syndicate" targeting EBT recipients

The Los Angeles Police Department arrested over a dozen suspects that may be connected to a Romanian syndicate that targets EBT recipients.

Officers said they began surveilling the group after receiving a tip they were residing in a motel on the 4700 block of Sepulveda Avenue. The officers stormed the motel room after securing a search warrant and arrested 13 suspects accused of identify theft crimes. 

During the bust officers found skimming devices, card readers, $36,062 and a large number of false identification cards and documents. Police said the suspects used the card skimmers on devices such as ATMS to drain Electronic Benefit Transfer accounts, stealing millions of dollars from California every month.

Officers believe that the suspects may be part of a Romanian syndicate known to target people struggling financially, draining their accounts of the much-needed funds. 

EBT is the way the state delivers CalFresh, CalWORKs and other benefits to individuals experiencing economic hardship. Recipients can use the funds to buy food and other goods either online or in person.

In most cases, in order to be eligible for state benefits such as CalFresh a household's monthly gross income must be at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level for their respective household size. For L.A. County, an individual's maximum monthly gross income must stay below $2,266 to qualify for CalFresh.

In California, the amount the state has had to reimburse CalWORKs and CalFresh recipients skyrocketed from less than $100,000 in July 2021 to nearly $6.5 million in November of last year.