Police in Columbus arrest believed ATM skimming suspect

COLUMBUS, Ind. (WISH) – Police in Columbus have arrested a man believed to be tied to a series of fraudulent ATM withdrawals.

According to the Columbus Police Department, they responded to an ATM just before 7 a.m. in the 3500 block of West Johnathan Street Moore Pike. Police say a suspicious person was remaining at the machine for an extended amount of time.

After arriving on scene, the suspect, later identified as 23-year-old Claudiu Mihai, began fleeing the scene on foot. He was soon after apprehended.

Officers discovered Mihai has $1,100 in his possession as well as a number of gift cards that appeared to have been reprogrammed into debit cards utilizing victims’ bank account information.

CPD also says that over the course of the previous days, they had received a number of complaints of fraudulent banking activity. Those making the complaints that they still had their debit/cards in their possession but believed as skimming device was used in order to obtain their banking information.

Mihai has since been transferred to the Bartholomew County Jail and faces a preliminary charge of resisting law enforcement.