SOUTH FLORIDA — A Cuban resident, Denis Paredes Matos, 32, was arrested after allegedly participating in a scam that defrauded a local seafood wholesaler of hundreds of pounds of lobster. Authorities said the fraud targeted Tarpon Bay Corporation in Medley, one of the region’s seafood suppliers.
The scheme began when a person known as “Aldofo” placed an order for 100 pounds of lobster, valued at approximately $4,500. Paredes Matos picked up the order, believing the payment had been approved. A second, larger order for 600 pounds, worth nearly $15,000, followed, with attempts to split payments across multiple credit cards. While some transactions were rejected, two appeared approved, allowing the lobster to be taken.
The scam was exposed when the bank informed the company that none of the payments had cleared. When the perpetrator attempted another order, police intervened, arresting Paredes Matos as he returned to collect the seafood.
During questioning, Paredes Matos claimed he was acting on instructions from a man he met while working as an Uber driver, identified as Luis Ramón Díaz, and that he would earn $500 per delivery.
He was charged with participating in an organized fraud scheme and transferred to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with a $2,500 bond. Prison records indicate he is also facing potential immigration detention.
No other arrests have been made in connection with the alleged organizer, leaving questions about the wider network behind the scam.
