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Bank Scams Soar: Argentinians Lose Millions Daily
Criminals exploit social media, preying on vulnerable citizens.
Bank scams in Argentina are skyrocketing, with victims losing an average of 500 million pesos (approximately $500,000 USD) every 24 hours. Criminal gangs are primarily using social media platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, as well as deceptive emails, to carry out these schemes.
Victim speaks Out
Gabriela, a recent victim, shared her experience: “I made deception very badly, they have no scruples. The next day of the scam I called them, I was attended by the same false employee of the bank and sustained me the lie that they were going to deposit the money.He even asked me to accept an alleged recording of the conversation, which is actually a system that they have to seize accounts data.they have to control them more, because they move with total impunity. They publish on Facebook, with phones, they even put their CBU, total nobody dose anything to them. I decided to tell it for people to become aware that there are many criminals making scams.”
Alarming Statistics
A recent report by the NGO “We Defend Buenos Aires,” in conjunction with the Javier Miglino and Associates Consultant, revealed the shocking scale of these crimes. The study analyzed cases investigated by the National Justice for Criminal Instruction in Buenos Aires, as well as cases from courts in Lomas de Zamora, Quilmes, La matanza, Morón, Moreno, San Martín, and San Isidro.
Did you know? According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), in 2023, losses from internet crime reached a staggering $12.8 billion in the United States alone. FBI IC3 Report 2023
Elderly Man Scammed Out of Savings
Aldo, an 87-year-old retiree from Adrogué, was targeted by scammers posing as bank staff. Javier miglino, a Criminology expert and director of Defend Buenos Aires, explained: “The lady who interviewed him had a Venezuelan accent that disturbed the man. Though, when he asked where she was, the girl told her that she was formoseña and that is why the accent. The conversation lasted 21 minutes, according to the recording that the criminal justice of Lomas de Zamora has and when cutting they had stolen all their savings (about four million pesos) and had even taken a credit for another million pesos.”
Miglino added, “Suddenly, he realized that the entire farce safety farce and the bands that profit from phone had him as a victim.”
Now, Aldo avoids the phone, closed his accounts, and withdraws his pension only from ATMs.
Pro Tip: Never share personal information,such as your bank account details or social security number,over the phone or online unless you initiated the contact and are certain of the recipient’s identity.
Banks Under Fire
Miglino criticized the banks’ response: “People are alone and banks look at their own time. Banks and payment apps by phone advertise absolutely safe systems, which give the peace of mind to pay without cash proof. Reality is very different.”
The rise in sophisticated scams highlights the need for increased vigilance and stronger security measures to protect Argentinians from financial exploitation.
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