Phony supermarket buyers steal $1.3m in seafood

Three men have stolen $1.3-worth of seafood from a company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, by posing as buyers for a supermarket.

Rene Hechevarria Echemend (33), Ernesto Aguilera Baute (36) and Jose Luis Batista Suarez (40) are facing seven counts of grand theft cargo of over $50,000 and seven counts of obtaining property over $5,000, according to a report in the Miami Herald.

The scammers targeted food importer Netuno, making multiple orders for seafood that were picked up  at a warehouse in the Miami-Dade town of Medley over a few weeks in June and July of this year. Eventually, Netuno employees became suspicious and contacted the supermarket, which confirmed that the orders were fraudulent.