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San Juan Woman Loses 2.9 Million Pesos in Phone Scam After Calling Fake Mercado Pago Number

Authorities in San Juan are tracing the routed transfers after a complaint, warning that real wallet support never requests passwords or remote access.

Overview

  • The 58-year-old victim from Santa Lucía found a supposed support line online with a Buenos Aires area code and believed she was speaking to Mercado Pago staff.
  • Posing as company personnel, the callers collected personal details and gained remote access to her phone, taking control of banking and app accounts.
  • The fraudsters made linked transfers of 500,000, 295,000 and 1,500,000 pesos within minutes, draining a total of 2.9 million pesos.
  • A formal complaint was filed, and judicial authorities and police are tracking the path of the money, which is often rapidly triangulated through other accounts in such cases.
  • Investigators reiterate that legitimate virtual-wallet support will not ask for passwords or remote control by phone and advise using official contact channels.