Scam may have hit 10,000 accounts

It has been revealed in court that two alleged "lieutenants" arrived in Melbourne earlier this year as an advance party to identify ATM targets.

A senior detective told Melbourne Magistrates Court that ANZ estimated $789,000 had been withdrawn from account holders, who have now been reimbursed.

Senior Constable Brett Colley told magistrate Sarah Dawes that "we have no clue where the money is", including $16,000 skimmed from card information obtained at an ATM in Windsor.

To get customer account details, a card reader, or skimmer, is built to record information on the magnetic strips of cards used at ATMs.

A recorder is also installed to capture personal identification numbers. After the devices are recovered, the information is downloaded to a computer and forwarded via the internet, discs or hard drives.

Detective Colley said at an opposed bail application by Nicolae Sorinel Mateica that police found a skimming device, a USB data storage device and a computer in a hotel room linked to his four co-accused.

He alleged three skimming devices removed from ATMs were powered by a mobile phone programmed with Romanian text, and information skimmed in Windsor was used to withdraw $16,000 from accounts around the world.

Mateica, 33, is charged with obtaining $789,000 by deception from ANZ, and with conspiring to defraud the Commonwealth Bank.

Police allege Mateica, who arrived from Istanbul on a tourist visa, unsuccessfully attached devices to ATMs in Mornington and Patterson Lakes in March.

Defence counsel Shane Tyrrell said the case against Mateica was "extremely thin", and there was no direct evidence linking him to skimming.

In response, prosecutor Katherine Linzner conceded it was a circumstantial case, but "links in the chain" pointed to his involvement.

Ms Dawes, in yesterday refusing bail, found there was a risk of Mateica fleeing and failing to appear. He was remanded to appear in September.