A fraudster, Teofil Bortos, was today jailed for seven years for
his role in stealing £1.3million over just five days by loading computer
viruses into cash machines across Britain.
36-year-old Bortos, a member of a Romanian gang living in east London, admitted conspiring to defraud ATM provider Cardtronics UK between May 1 and 28 2014. He led the gang that stole the whopping amount from ATM machines across the United Kingdom. He was practically the brain behind it all.
Mirror Online reports that Bortos, his accomplice Grigore Paladi and other unknown plotters targeted an array of towns and cities over the May bank holiday weekend last year, London's Old Bailey heard. They made off with a staggering £1,373,640 by activating malware on the ATM computers in a carefully planned and sophisticated scam.
Police believe the tech-savvy con artists may be behind a worldwide fraud operation targeting ATMs overseas as well as in the UK.
36-year-old Bortos, a member of a Romanian gang living in east London, admitted conspiring to defraud ATM provider Cardtronics UK between May 1 and 28 2014. He led the gang that stole the whopping amount from ATM machines across the United Kingdom. He was practically the brain behind it all.
Mirror Online reports that Bortos, his accomplice Grigore Paladi and other unknown plotters targeted an array of towns and cities over the May bank holiday weekend last year, London's Old Bailey heard. They made off with a staggering £1,373,640 by activating malware on the ATM computers in a carefully planned and sophisticated scam.
Police believe the tech-savvy con artists may be behind a worldwide fraud operation targeting ATMs overseas as well as in the UK.
The Romanian national was jailed this afternoon while appearing at the Old Bailey. His wife wept in the public gallery as he was ordered to spend seven years behind bars.
Sentencing Bortos, Judge Anuja Dhir QC told him: "You were part of a criminal gang that opened and accessed 51 ATM machines. The computers inside these cash machines were tampered with by loading it with a sophisticated computer virus.
"Between May 21 and May 27 £1,373,640 was stolen. As I understand it that money has never been recovered and there is no chance of it being recovered. You did not actually withdraw the cash but you were present when it happened.
"I'm satisfied with what I'm told that you were a trusted member of this conspiracy. You had strong links with individuals loading the software.
"You were frequently present at or near ATMs when cash was withdrawn by others. I accept the Crown's position that you were in a trusted position in that organised crime gang."
Bortos, dressed in a grey jumper and with cropped hair, sat stony-faced and spoke only to say, 'I understand, your honour', as he was imprisoned
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