Guests of two Walt Disney World resorts got an unpleasant surprise when their credit-card numbers were stolen and used to buy tens of thousands of dollars worth of goods they did not authorize, federal court document show.
Ana Rosa, a former front-desk clerk at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and Disney's Old Key West Resort, faces prison after reaching a plea agreement in which she admitted her role in the scheme.
Federal prosecutors say the Orange County woman bilked 178 people, 32 banks and credit-card issuers and four vendors out of more than $83,000.
A detective in December found a small device that scans card numbers attached to one of the front desk computers at Saratoga Springs. Rosa, 40, admitted putting it there in November, according to the plea agreement.
Rosa was charged with possessing at least 15 devices that stole customers' credit-card information between September and Jan. 7. She was prosecuted in federal court because many of the transactions were routed to other states, and many of the defrauded banks and card issuers are not in Florida, documents state.
A search of Rosa's home in January yielded scanning devices, computer equipment and a notebook with Social Security numbers written in it, charging documents show. Found under Rosa's mattress was a print-out with 77 credit-card numbers from 25 card issuers, authorities said.
Rosa told investigators that a friend introduced her to a man at an auto-repair shop who gave her a scanning device and $400 to buy more of them. He told her where to put the device on her work computer at Saratoga Springs, she told investigators. She said she put at least three on her work computers.
Rosa said the man paid her $500 in October for bringing him scanners with the downloaded information but did not pay all he promised. She admitted downloading information from one of the devices to er computer and claimed she was going to use it as leverage to get the rest of her money.
Rosa pleaded guilty to two charges: fraud and related activity in connection with credit card, and aggravated identity theft. The first charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The second charge carries a maximum of two years and $250,000.
She also must forfeit all property she obtained through proceeds from the scheme.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office started receiving complaints in September that credit-cards numbers had been stolen from patrons of Saratoga Springs and Disney's Beach Club resorts, even though they still had their cards.
In November, Citibank told law officers that nine cardholders who had stayed at Saratoga Springs complained about unauthorized charges. In December, Chase bank reported that 88 cardholders who had stayed at Saratoga Springs and Old Key West resorts between Aug. 31 and Sept. 30 had been victimized.
Rosa agreed to cooperate with the government in its prosecution of others involved in the case.
Susan Jacobson can be reached at
sjacobson@orlandosentinel.com or 407-540-5981
I will be watching my AMEX statement from now on.
