Lexington police arrest two men accused of installing skimmers on a store’s credit card reader

Lexington police said they have filed charges against two men accused of installing a credit card keypad skimmer on a machine at a local store.

Mihai Neacsu, 39, and an unidentified person using the alias Michele Farsoni are charged with first-degree unauthorized access to a computer, engaging in organized crime, using a scanning device/re-encoder to access credit card transaction data (first offense) and possession of burglary tools. Police said they are investigating to determine Farsoni’s true identity.

Police were dispatched to the Winburn Fruit Supermarket in the 1100 block of Winburn Drive on Monday after a credit card keypad cover was found inside the store. Neacsu and Farsoni were arrested inside the store and booked into the Fayette County Detention Center.

The extent of the compromised financial data is unknown, police said. Customers who have shopped at the store are urged to check their accounts and report any suspicious activity.

Lexington police can be reached at 859-258-3600. Anonymous tips can be made to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers by calling 859-253-2020 or visiting www.bluegrasscrimestoppers.com. Anonymous tips can also be made through the P3 Tips app at www.p3tips.com, police said.

Neacsu and Farsoni are being held in the Fayette County Jail on $10,000 fines, jail records show. They are scheduled to appear in Fayette District Court for a preliminary hearing on July 25, court records show.

In another incident, Lexington police also arrested two suspects in March after discovering skimmers at ATMs in Kroger stores throughout Lexington.