Suspected credit card 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 has led to a raid on a Pembroke Pines home and the arrest 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 were seen documenting several high-end cars, including a Range Rover and at least two Mercedes G-Wagens.

According to a criminal complaint, the raid resulted in the arrest of Willan Pupo, 36, and Joel Castillo, 38, on multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit access device fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The investigation allegedly began in April 2024, when the Secret Service received information that Pupo and Castillo were involved in a credit card chargeback scheme, according to the complaint.

Pupo and Castillo used shell companies to lease point-of-sale terminals that allow the businesses to accept and facilitate customer payments and track sales, the complaint says.

They then used the terminals to make fraudulent transactions, often using stolen credit card numbers, and then deposited the proceeds into a bank account, the complaint said.

Credit card owners dispute the charges and card issuers reverse the charges using a process called a “chargeback,” but because the bank account registered with the device no longer has funds, the credit card processing company must bear the loss.

A single device installed in February for just one month resulted in a total of 268 charges, totaling $975,565.10.

The money was quickly transferred to other accounts, and within a day of the first transaction, credit card companies began receiving calls disputing the charges.

Investigators found that 144 transactions were either fraudulent or “no service provided,” according to the complaint.

When the credit card companies demanded the funds be returned, the profits were wiped out and the credit card processing company suffered a loss of approximately $966,000.

The app used for the device included a fake driver's license and bank statement, according to the complaint.

But investigators discovered that the IP address used for the app pointed to Pupo and his home in Pembroke Pines, the complaint said.

They also discovered that the money went into an account and then checks were written from that account to “businesses” run by Pupo and Castillo, according to the complaint.

A day after that device was deactivated, a new request was submitted 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.

Castillo then took it home and several transactions were made using the device, the complaint said.

Pupo and Castillo were incarcerated. Information provided by the lawyer was not available.