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Argentina Cracks Down on Digital Fraud Rings With New Arrests, Bot Scheme Dismantled

Prosecutors move to keep suspects jailed pending forensic reviews.

Overview

  • Three women were detained in La Matanza for opening bank accounts with adulterated DNIs, with the case led by Federal Court No. 2 of Morón and the Federal Police Antifraud Division after raids that seized phones, chips, documentation and a posnet.
  • Investigators broke up an operation that used a Telegram bot to harvest card data and make Mercado Pago purchases, moving goods via Uber Moto to Garupá, Misiones; phones and new merchandise were seized and the probe continues to identify all participants.
  • The prosecution asked to extend the detention of four Cordoba suspects accused of phishing a public defender and extracting nearly 8 million pesos, with the judge set to decide next week as additional arrest orders remain pending.
  • A 35-year-old who posed as an ANSES and banking gestor was imputated in Salta for creating a Mercado Pago account in a victim’s name and siphoning about 2 million pesos; the prosecutor requested preventive detention while electronic evidence is analyzed.
  • Recent consumer complaints include a 20-year-old who paid 40,000 pesos for a pressure washer on Facebook Marketplace and received a steel ring, and a 64-year-old who lost 13 million pesos in a pickup truck sale with forged paperwork, both under investigation.