Jose Santana Pleads Guilty In Cell Phone Fraud Scheme

Santana and co-conspirators committed identity theft costing victims $150,000, according to US Department of Justice.

Dark Reading Staff, Dark Reading

October 27, 2016

1 Min Read
Dark Reading logo in a gray background | Dark Reading

Florida resident Jose Santana has pleaded guilty to a cell phone fraud scheme that involved making international calls on accounts acquired through fraudulent means, and personally causing $150,000 in losses to victims across the US. Santana is the second person after Edwin Fana to plead guilty in the case dubbed Operation Toll Free.

A US Department of Justice (DoJ) release said Santana and his co-conspirators committed identity theft stealing personal details of cell phone customers and configured them to make international calls to countries with high calling rates like Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

Using the alias Octavio Perez, Santana carried out the illegal operations from a “call site” in his West Palm Beach home. He also admitted receiving more than 1,000 emails between December 2010 and October 2011 with the stolen data.

For details, read the DoJ release.

About the Author

Dark Reading Staff

Dark Reading

Dark Reading is a leading cybersecurity media site.

Keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats, newly discovered vulnerabilities, data breach information, and emerging trends. Delivered daily or weekly right to your email inbox.

You May Also Like


More Insights