A Florida man has been arrested after investigators say he helped scam an elderly Palm Coast woman out of $120,000 in a computer support fraud scheme.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office, working with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Unit, arrested 20-year-old Steven Mercado of Orlando on Monday on a warrant issued in Flagler County.
According to investigators, the scam began on Dec. 9, 2025, when the victim received a pop-up message on her computer instructing her to call a supposed technical support number. When she called, scammers told her that both her computer and bank accounts had been hacked.
The callers convinced the victim that her money needed to be protected and instructed her to withdraw about $60,000 in cash from her Chase Bank account and deliver it to a courier.
Authorities say Mercado acted as that courier.
The victim was told to meet the courier in the parking lot of a Publix supermarket. When she arrived, Mercado reportedly approached her, called her by name and provided a “safe word” arranged by the scammers before she handed over the cash.
The following day, the victim received another call claiming that her bank account had been breached again. She was instructed to withdraw another $60,000 and meet a courier at a Walmart in Palm Coast.
Investigators said Mercado again approached the victim in the parking lot, provided the agreed-upon safe word and collected the second payment.
On Dec. 11, 2025, the scammers attempted to convince the woman to send even more money. At that point, she became suspicious and contacted the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives launched an investigation and, with assistance from the agency’s Real Time Crime Center, identified Mercado as the suspect. Security camera footage showed Mercado and his vehicle at both the Publix and Walmart locations during the exchanges.
Authorities also analyzed phone location data, which placed Mercado at the scenes during the meetings. A review of his bank records allegedly revealed multiple large deposits and withdrawals that investigators considered suspicious.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant charging Mercado with organized scheme to defraud and grand theft.
He was arrested during a traffic stop in Orange County on March 6 with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Flagler County Fugitive Apprehension Unit. Mercado was taken to the Orange County Jail, where he also faced additional charges of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana.
Mercado was later released on a $23,500 bond.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly criticized the bond amount and said scammers who target seniors deserve harsher consequences.
During the investigation, detectives also uncovered additional suspicious financial transactions linked to Mercado. Those findings helped identify another victim in Durham, North Carolina, who reportedly lost $37,463.15 in a similar scam.
Information provided by Flagler County investigators led the Durham Police Department to file additional charges against Mercado for obtaining property by false pretenses. Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing as detectives continue working to identify other possible victims.
