A counterfeit fuel card used to buy approximately $200 in diesel led Florida detectives to an alleged card-manufacturing operation containing 154 fake credit cards and multiple skimming devices.
Investigators accuse Juan Miguel Acosta Ramos, 32, of using payment information captured at a fuel pump to complete 17 unauthorized diesel purchases totaling more than $4,000 across the Tampa Bay area.
During a search of his Apollo Beach residence, deputies allegedly found blank cards, payment-terminal overlays, magnetic-stripe equipment and ledgers documenting the operation.
Ramos also allegedly tried to flush a stack of counterfeit cards down a toilet.
A Stolen Fleet-Card Number Started the Investigation
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office began investigating on June 24 after a local business discovered unauthorized diesel purchases involving one of its fleet fuel cards. Detectives determined that the card information had been captured through a skimming device installed on an unidentified fuel pump.
Surveillance footage from a Wawa on East Hillsborough Avenue allegedly showed Ramos using the stolen information to purchase approximately $200 in diesel. The fuel was pumped into a large auxiliary tank mounted in the bed of a blue Ford F-250. About one week later, someone allegedly attempted to use the same stolen account information at a gas station in Gibsonton, but the payment system declined the transaction.
Detectives identified the truck as registered to Ramos and ultimately linked him to 17 fraudulent diesel purchases totaling more than $4,000, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said the transactions occurred across the Tampa Bay area and included a purchase at a 7-Eleven on U.S. 301 North in Parrish.
The Search Exposed an Alleged Card-Manufacturing Operation
Detectives from Manatee and Hillsborough counties served a search warrant at Ramos’ residence on Flamingo Avenue in Apollo Beach on July 8. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said the search produced 154 counterfeit credit cards, dozens of skimming devices, multiple ledgers and electronic equipment used to produce and operate fraudulent cards.
Manatee County investigators separately identified more than 100 counterfeit payment cards and 12 skimming devices among the evidence tied to their investigation.
Other seized items allegedly included blank plastic cards, PIN-pad overlays, magnetic-stripe readers and writers, card encoders and equipment capable of placing stolen payment information onto counterfeit cards. Authorities also seized the Ford F-250 allegedly used to transport fuel purchased during the scheme.
Deputies Recovered Cards From a Toilet
As investigators searched the residence, Ramos allegedly attempted to destroy evidence by flushing a stack of counterfeit cards down a toilet. Detectives recovered the discarded cards along with additional skimming devices, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.
The allegation resulted in a charge involving tampering with or destroying physical evidence in addition to the financial-crime charges. Osprey Observer reported that the joint investigation remained active after the search and arrest.
Ramos Faces Charges From Both Investigations
Authorities announced charges that include unlawful use of a credit card, grand theft, trafficking in counterfeit cards, possessing skimming devices, possessing card-making equipment and tampering with or destroying evidence.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said additional charges involving fraudulent card use and stolen personal identifying information could follow. The charges are allegations. No plea, conviction, restitution order or final loss calculation has been announced.
A Fuel-Pump Skimmer May Be Hidden Inside the Machine
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services warns that modern skimmers may be installed inside a fuel pump, making them impossible for a customer to see from the outside.
Some devices use Bluetooth or cellular components to transmit information copied from a card’s magnetic stripe. Stolen data can then be encoded onto another piece of plastic and used as though it were the original card.
Drivers should avoid pumps with broken security seals, unlocked panels, loose card readers or other signs of tampering. Pumps closest to the store and within an attendant’s view may present less opportunity for someone to install a device unnoticed. Paying inside or using a mobile wallet can reduce exposure to a compromised pump reader.
Fleet Operators Can Limit a Stolen Card’s Value
A business using fuel cards can activate transaction alerts and restrict each card by vehicle, driver, fuel type, location, dollar amount or time of day when its provider offers those controls. Statements should be compared with vehicle mileage, tank capacity and driver fuel receipts.
Suspected pump tampering in Florida can be reported to the station manager and the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at 1-800-435-7352. Unauthorized card transactions should also be reported immediately to the issuer and local police.