DOJ: Illegal Alien Admits Nationwide Sleight-of-Hand Fraud

• The fraud was carried out on at least 90 occasions across Missouri and 19 other states using sleight-of-hand tactics at store cash registers.
• Anghel faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for wire fraud, and up to two years and a $250,000 fine for illegal reentry.

Bazili Anghel Anghel, an illegal immigrant, admitted in U.S. District Court to participating in a conspiracy that targeted a national retailer, stealing or attempting to steal $157,229 through sleight-of-hand fraud. The scheme involved manipulating cash payments at store registers and then returning items for refunds despite not paying the full price.

The fraud was executed at least 90 times in Missouri and 19 other states, with Anghel and his co-conspirators using multiple aliases. Anghel was previously removed to Romania in 2019 and illegally re-entered the U.S. before the conspiracy began in May 2022.

• $157,229 amount stolen or attempted
• 90 fraud occasions
• $250,000 maximum fine per charge

• Review transaction monitoring for patterns matching sleight-of-hand refund fraud as described in the DOJ case against Bazili Anghel Anghel.
• Screen for aliases including Anghel Bazili, Edward Tansae, and Bazili Angher in customer and transaction records.
• Update internal fraud typologies to include multi-state refund fraud schemes targeting national retailers as detailed in this DOJ case.

This case highlights the risks posed by organized refund fraud schemes that exploit weaknesses in retail cash handling and refund processes. The use of multiple aliases and cross-state operations complicates detection and reporting, underscoring the need for robust transaction monitoring and identity verification. Compliance officers must be vigilant for similar patterns and ensure that typologies are updated to reflect evolving fraud tactics, as such schemes can facilitate money laundering and undermine financial controls.