Man charged with running online scam in Carpentersville

A 30-year-old man was taken into custody Wednesday and charged with running at online scam in northwest suburban Carpentersville.

Renato Munteanu used a fake Nevada driver’s license on Tuesday at a Walmart at 365 Lake Marian Rd. in Carpentersville to access $1,500 that was sent to a MoneyGram account as part of an online scam, according to Carpentersville police. Munteanu had no fixed address over the last few months, police said.

On Tuesday, someone in North Carolina filed a complaint with Carpentersville police about a suspicious incident that took place at the Walmart, police said. She told police that she sent $1,500 to a MoneyGram account to purchase an item she had viewed on Craigslist, which was allegedly sold using eBay Buying Protection Services.

Investigators requested video of the transaction on Tuesday, police said. The following day, a Walmart employee identified Munteanu when he returned to the store and alerted authorities.

At the time of his arrest, Munteanu had two fake Nevada driver’s licenses in his possession, police said. In addition, police found computers and printers used for making fake IDs and more than $50,000 in cash in his rented vehicle.

Munteanu was charged with continuing financial criminal enterprise, theft, two counts of issue or deliver forged document and two counts of possession or display fictitious ID card — all felonies. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of identification material hardware or software, police said.

Munteanu’s bond was set at $400,000 Friday afternoon, police said.