Bucharest taxi driver arrested after stealing British man's phone and spending 15,000 lei
A Bucharest taxi driver has been arrested for 30 days pending trial after allegedly stealing the phone of a British citizen and, together with two accomplices, carrying out fraudulent transactions worth approximately 15,000 lei.
Taxi driver arrested after phone theft and fraudulent bank transactions
A taxi driver from Bucharest has been arrested for 30 days pending trial after allegedly stealing the phone of a British citizen who was a passenger in his taxi and, together with two accomplices, carrying out fraudulent transactions worth approximately 15,000 lei, reports Digi24.
The incidents occurred on 13 February 2026. According to the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Bucharest Tribunal, the taxi driver stole the phone from the British passenger during the journey. Subsequently, the three suspects managed to unlock the device and access the banking applications installed on it, carrying out several fraudulent financial operations.
"The suspects, on 13.02.2026, based on a prior subjective connection, after one of them, a taxi driver, stole the mobile phone belonging to the injured party whom he was transporting in the vehicle used as a taxi, with the help of the other two suspects succeeded in unlocking the phone and accessing the banking applications installed on this device. Subsequently, they carried out fraudulent financial transactions, totalling approximately 15,000 lei, thus causing damage to the injured party", the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Bucharest Tribunal stated on Monday.
The money was used primarily for the purchase of clothing items. Last week, investigators conducted searches at the taxi driver's home, seizing clothes and data storage media.
The three suspects were brought in and questioned. The Prosecutor's Office attached to the Bucharest Tribunal charged them with aggravated theft, unlawful access to a computer system in continuous form and carrying out fraudulent financial operations in continuous form. The taxi driver was arrested pending trial, whilst the two accomplices were placed under judicial supervision.
The operation was supported by the Special Operations Directorate and the Special Actions Service within the General Police Directorate of Bucharest Municipality.
Source: Digi24