MTA police release poster in Baldwin ticket scam case

The MTA Police released on Tuesday a WANTED poster for a suspect allegedly behind an attempt to scam Long Island Rail Road Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) at Baldwin Station. The poster includes photographs of the suspect, identified as Vasile Ovidiu Haidau, a 35-year-old Romanian national who police say has ties to a credit card - identity theft gang in California.

Last week, LIRR TVM technicians discovered a scanning device inside the credit/debit card slot in a Baldwin TVM as well as a tiny camera secreted above the keyboard that was videotaping as LIRR customers typed in their PIN. The LIRR routinely monitors its TVMs for signs of tampering. MTA Police were immediately called to the scene and determined that the scammers had not been able to download any of the information picked up by either device so they do not believe that any LIRR customers who used that machine in Baldwin had their credit-debit information compromised.

Still, the MTA PD and the LIRR advise customers to take precautions to protect their PIN number when using a credit or debit card at LIRR Ticket Vending Machines and advise anyone who finds unfamiliar transactions on their bank statements to immediately contact their financial institution.

MTA Police said Haidau was last seen on Monday morning driving a 2014 Blue Volvo S80 traveling west on Sunrise Highway in Baldwin. The rental car carried the license plate number GKR5959. Detective say Haidau should be considered dangerous and if in anyone spots him they a should notify the MTA Police Department Detective Division at (516) 222-6501 or the On Duty-On Call Detective Sergeant via MTA Police Communications at (718) 361-2201. For tips from the MTA Police on how to safeguard your valuables when riding MTA trains and buses go to:.

http://web.mta.info/safeguardyourstuff/safeguardyourstuff.htm