In June 2022, Ionut Ganea was charged with three sample counts of bank fraud in a scheme to defraud victims in an online action fraud. 

The indictment says that Ganea, 28, a Romanian national last known to be in Romania, conspired to defraud consumers by posting fraudulent automobile auction advertisements on multiple automobile websites.  The automobile auction advertisements contained information typical of legitimate auctions, including photographs of the automobiles for sale and details of supposed sellers.

But the vehicles advertised for sale were not owned by the supposed sellers who communicated with interested buyers through online messaging platforms and induced them to place bids on the auctions.  After a victim-buyer “won” an auction and wired payment to the seller’s bank account as instructed, the vehicle was never delivered.

Ganea operated a number of bank accounts in banks across the USA and used them to collect the payments from victims. He then transferred the moneys out of those accounts.

Prosecutors say that Ganea opened at least 74 bank accounts in eight banks in the USA using 28 fake identities and fraudulent passports from Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Latvia. At the time, he was stated to be a citizen of Romania. 

Prosecutors say that the gross proceeds of the fraud was approximately USD2 million and that Ganea withdrew more than USD1.8 million. It has not been recovered. 

Ganea fled and remained at large despite warrants being issued for his arrest.

But that's not the end of the story.

In October 2023, now known as Ionut-Bogdan Ganea, he was charged in Andrew County Missouri with the interesting offence of "being a fugitive from out of state." A news report NorthWestMoInfor.com says "A London, England man considered a fugitive was arrested Sunday in Andrew County. Troop H of the Highway Patrol says 30-year-old London, England resident Ionut-Bogdan Ganea was arrested at 7:30 P.M. Sunday" and notes that he was wanted by the FBI's San Fransisco office.

However, as at mid March 2025, the trail has gone cold. There are no reports published by either the FBI or the Department of Justice since the initial announcement of charges. However, a report of the bail hearing following his arrest at https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/51149136/USA_v_Ganea suggests he was detained in custody. We have not found information relating to his extradition from Missouri to California. 

The case illustrates how many people can become victims of a simple fraud and how the internet, while not to blame, provides facilities for criminals to operate behind false identities.