Alleged credit card machine fraudsters arrested in Secret Service raid on Pembroke Pines home – NBC 6 South Florida

A U.S. Secret Service investigation into a complex credit card fraud scheme led to a raid on a Pembroke Pines home and the arrests of two South Florida men.

The raid took place Tuesday at a home on Southwest 156th Avenue, where Secret Service agents and Pembroke Pines police documented the presence of several luxury cars, including a Range Rover and at least two Mercedes G-Wagens.

According to the indictment, as a result of the raid, Willan Pupo, 36, and Joel Castillo, 38, were arrested on multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit access device fraud, conspiracy to commit telecommunications fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to the complaint, the investigation likely began in April 2024, when the Secret Service received information that Pupo and Castillo were involved in an ongoing credit card chargeback scheme.

According to the complaint, Pupo and Castillo used shell companies to rent POS terminals so the businesses could accept and process payments from customers and track sales.

They then used the terminals to conduct fraudulent transactions, often using stolen credit card numbers, and deposited the money into a bank account, the complaint says.

Credit cardholders disputed the charges and card issuers reversed them using a procedure called a “charge back,” but because there were no funds left in the bank account registered with the device, the credit card processing company took the loss.

One device, installed in February for just one month, led to a total of 268 charges totaling $975,565.10.

The money was quickly transferred to other accounts, and the day after the first transaction, credit card companies began receiving calls asking people to dispute the charges.

According to the complaint, investigators determined that 144 transactions were either fraudulent or “no service was provided.”

When the credit card companies requested a refund, it was discovered that the funds had been squandered and the credit card processing company had suffered a loss of approximately $966,000.

The app used on the device contained a fake driver’s license and fake bank statements, the complaint said.

However, according to the complaint, investigators discovered that the IP address used in the app belonged to Pupo and his home in Pembroke Pines.

According to the complaint, it was also determined that the money was deposited into one account, from which checks were then issued to “companies” run by Pupo and Castillo.

The day after that device was disabled, a new application was filed for another device, and the Secret Service arranged for a controlled delivery of the device to Pupo’s home in Pembroke Pines, the complaint said.

According to the complaint, Castillo later took the device home and later made several transactions using it.

Pupo and Castillo were arrested. Attorney information was not available.