The Forged ID

“The Skimmer,” Adrian Constantin Tiugan, fled to Mexico to avoid jail time in Romania, using a fake passport under the name of Paul Daniel Ionete. The police believe that he bought the document for $2,000 from the real Ionete, a small-time crook, then simply added his own picture and changed the expiration date. The Skimmer also used Ionete’s identity to obtain a temporary work permit in Mexico, which he used to sign an agreement with a reputable bank and obtain licenses to install the gang’s rigged ATMs. Both documents proved convincing enough for Tiugan to emigrate to Mexico and open and operate Top Life Servicios, the gang’s core company.