Gang jailed for over 13 years after £40,000 card-swap scam targeting elderly victims
Three men travelled the country targeting cash machines before being caught in Portsmouth
Three members of an organised crime group have been jailed for a combined total of more than 13 years after defrauding vulnerable and elderly victims across the country.
The men were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday 19th October 2026, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.
40-year-old Ionut Matei, of no fixed abode, was jailed for five years and six months, and was also sentenced for knowingly entering the UK in breach of a deportation order.
45-year-old Vasile Ciubotaru, of Balfour Road, Ilford, was jailed for four years and eight months.
51-year-old Ramonel Mandache, of Henniker Gardens, East Ham, London, was jailed for three years.
How the scam worked
The investigation, known as Operation Rages, was carried out by Cheshire Police into a nationwide theft and fraud operation, including offences in Warrington and Widnes.
It identified numerous offences committed between October 2024 and August 2026, during which more than £40,000 was stolen from victims across Cheshire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and Kent.
Detectives established that the offenders, all Romanian nationals, travelled across the country specifically targeting elderly and vulnerable victims using cash machines inside Halifax and Lloyds Bank branches, according to police.
One offender would position themselves close enough to see the victim entering their PIN, while another would distract them by drawing attention to a banknote deliberately placed on the floor nearby, police said.
While the victim's attention was diverted, a third member of the group would help steal the victim's bank card and replace it with a similar-looking card.
Believing they had retrieved their own card from the machine, victims left the bank unaware they had been targeted, before the offenders used the stolen card and PIN to make cash withdrawals and purchases.
One victim lost £11,100 over a period of almost two weeks before discovering they had become the victim of fraud, police said. Other victims, many in their 70s and 80s, also lost significant sums of money.
Police enquiries also revealed that the defendants were fraudulently obtaining cars using false driving licences in an attempt to disguise their identities and movements.
Where the thefts happened
According to police, the offences included:
- 10th October 2024, Halifax, Widnes - £950 stolen
- 8th November 2024, Lloyds Bank, Newcastle-under-Lyme - £800 stolen
- 8th November 2024, Halifax, Leek - £300 stolen
- 20th January 2026, Halifax, Arnold, Nottinghamshire - £4,163 stolen
- 5th March 2026, Halifax, Arnold, Nottinghamshire - £800 stolen
- 5th March 2026, Halifax, Arnold, Nottinghamshire - £700 stolen
- 21st May 2026, Halifax, Beeston, Nottinghamshire - £5,357 stolen
- 21st May 2026, Halifax, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire - £4,751 stolen
- 5th June 2026, Halifax, Stockport - £800 stolen
- 2nd July 2026, Halifax, Mexborough, Doncaster - £800 stolen
- 3rd July 2026, Halifax, Bury, Manchester - £11,100 stolen
- 14th July 2026, Lloyds Bank, Cannock, Staffordshire - nothing stolen
- 15th July 2026, Lloyds Bank, Widnes - £3,100 stolen
- 15th July 2026, Lloyds Bank, Newcastle-under-Lyme - £400 stolen
- 16th July 2026, Lloyds Bank, Warrington - £3,990 stolen
- 5th August 2026, Halifax, Mexborough, Doncaster - £700 stolen
- 5th August 2026, Halifax, Mexborough, Doncaster - £750 stolen
- 17th August 2026, Lloyds Bank, Chatham, Kent - £800 stolen
The arrest
On 18th August 2026, Cheshire Police officers arrested the three defendants in Portsmouth following extensive CCTV enquiries which had identified them. Each made no comment on arrest, police said.
Reaction
Detective Sergeant Stephanie Bland, Senior Investigating Officer for Operation Rages, said: "This was a highly organised criminal enterprise that deliberately targeted elderly and vulnerable members of the public for financial gain."
"While many victims suffered significant financial losses, the lasting impact on their confidence and wellbeing cannot be underestimated," DS Bland said.
"Operation Rages was a complex investigation spanning multiple force areas but in policing, there are no borders, and even though a majority of these offences occurred outside of Cheshire, our officers were determined to identify those responsible for these crimes, bring them before the courts, and provide reassurance to victims and the wider public," DS Bland said.
"We are determined to make Cheshire a hostile environment for criminals. We will continue to disrupt serious and organised crime, protect our communities, and ensure offenders face justice," DS Bland said.