A man accused of using cloned EBT cards to withdraw money from government assistance accounts in Maine and New Hampshire has been arrested in a multistate investigation police called Operation Last Swipe.
Nashua police arrested Alexandru Victorian Ispas, 36, on July 1, according to WMTW. Police said the case involves Temporary Assistance for Needy Families accounts, a cash-assistance program for low-income families.
The investigation began after unauthorized ATM withdrawals from TANF accounts were identified in Maine, according to a Nashua Police Department release republished by Nashua Ink Link. Police said the activity later extended into New Hampshire, with losses connected to the incidents now exceeding $100,000.
Ispas was charged with two counts of theft by unauthorized taking of $1,500 or more, two counts of identity fraud, two counts of forgery of a government instrument, and one count of disobeying an officer. The charges are accusations and have not been proven in court.
The Investigation Started With Maine TANF Withdrawals
Nashua police said the investigation was initiated by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit, working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
Investigators identified unauthorized ATM withdrawals from TANF accounts beginning in November 2025, according to the police release. The first activity was tied to Maine accounts, where police said many accounts were affected and significant losses were reported.
The activity later moved into New Hampshire. Police said unauthorized withdrawals were reported in Manchester in January 2026 and in Nashua on May 1 and July 1, 2026.
Police Say ATM Activity Led to the July 1 Arrest
On the morning of July 1, surveillance and enforcement teams were deployed throughout Nashua as part of a joint operation involving Nashua police, federal investigators, Homeland Security Investigations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and other agencies.
At about 7:30 a.m., investigators were alerted to activity in progress at ATMs on Main Street, according to Nashua police. Police said Ispas was observed conducting multiple transactions at Citizens Bank and Santander Bank before leaving the area in a vehicle.
Officers stopped the vehicle. Police said Ispas first identified himself with a Republic of Slovakia identification card under a different name, before federal partners later identified him during the booking process.
Investigators Recovered Cash and Suspected Cloned Cards
During the arrest and later court-authorized searches, investigators recovered $19,590 in U.S. currency, police said. Authorities said that amount matched the money withdrawn on the morning of July 1.
Investigators also recovered numerous suspected cloned EBT cards, electronic devices believed to have been used to encode the cards, a fraudulent passport, and other evidence they said connected Ispas to the scheme.
Police said the case remains part of an ongoing investigation into an organized criminal enterprise targeting government benefit programs across state lines. Additional federal charges are expected, according to the release.
Families May Still Have the Card When the Money Is Gone
The case gives TANF and EBT users the same warning seen in other benefits-theft cases: the physical card does not have to disappear for the account to be drained. Police said investigators recovered suspected cloned EBT cards, which means stolen card data can be used while the real card remains with the account holder.
That makes account checks especially important right after benefits are loaded. Families should review balances and recent transactions, look for unfamiliar ATM withdrawals or out-of-state activity, and change the PIN immediately if anything looks wrong.
Maine DHHS warns that scammers may call, text, or email while pretending to be from DHHS or EBT Customer Service. The agency says it will never call or text asking for an EBT card number or PIN.
What EBT Users Should Do After an Unauthorized Withdrawal
Anyone who sees an unauthorized EBT or TANF transaction should contact the state agency or the official EBT customer service number on the back of the card, disable the card, request a replacement, and change the PIN. Maine DHHS tells cardholders to call the Office for Family Independence at 1-855-797-4357 during business hours or FIS EBT Customer Service at 1-800-477-7428 outside regular business hours.
Cardholders should save transaction records, screenshots, ATM locations, dates, receipts, texts, voicemails, and any account alerts. Those details can help state investigators, police, or federal fraud teams determine where the money went and whether other accounts were hit in the same pattern.
Families should also avoid easy PINs such as 0000, 1234, birthdates, or repeated numbers. Maine DHHS has urged EBT users to review account activity regularly, change PINs, use the lock/unlock feature when available, and block online or out-of-state transactions if those purchases are not needed.
