14 DAY TRIAL // 46-year-old Stephen Barone and his wife, Robin Barone, 44, were arrested last week on suspicion of being involved in a massive phishing scam. The two are said to have stolen around $550,000 (€406,000) from close to 400 people.
Authorities say the Orlando couple led a criminal organization that stole the personal details of Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase customers with the aid of fake emails. They had used the stolen information to order replacement payment cards, which they had delivered to their own addresses.
The fraudulent cards were used to purchase money orders which were deposited into Steve Barone’s business account.
“The crime was wide reaching, damaging not only the obvious victims, but also other consumers and our business community,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey.
Another FDLE representative has told the Orlando Sentinel that the couple are “tied in with the Nigerians.”