A virtual banking scam targeting a credit card user in Rivadavia resulted in the loss of nearly 3 million pesos through unauthorized bank transfers and digital wallet withdrawals, according to reports investigated by the provincial judiciary. The incident, which is currently handled by the UFI Delitos Informáticos y Estafas, highlights the ongoing risks associated with impersonation fraud targeting digital financial platforms in Argentina.
The Mechanics of the Impersonation Fraud
According to judicial filings, the fraud began when the victim attempted to apply for a loan through the official Tarjeta Naranja platform, a routine transaction for her. The system rejected the request, stating that her credit card was blocked for such operations. Looking for assistance, she contacted a phone number she had saved in her WhatsApp contacts under customer service. Shortly after, a man identifying himself as “Ricardo,” a representative of the financial entity, called to offer a solution.
Because the primary victim was busy, her 20-year-old daughter took over the phone call. The fake operator instructed them to complete a series of bank transactions to reactivate and normalize the card. Following these directions, the victims executed four separate transfers totaling a sum of money. The funds were sent to a Naranja X account registered to Zalazar Pinto, using an alias provided by the scammer.
Escalation to Digital Wallets and Rapipago Extractions
Once the initial bank transfers were completed, the fraudster directed the victims to engage in a video call to finalize the process, according to the official complaint. During this live digital interaction, the scammer guided them through additional steps. Shortly afterward, the victim’s daughter noticed an unauthorized movement in her Mercado Pago account.
The transaction involved an extraction executed via Rapipago and routed to an unknown account. Neither the victim nor her daughter authorized this transaction. Following the discovery of the unauthorized withdrawal, the family preserved digital evidence, including transfer receipts and WhatsApp chat logs, which have been submitted to the UFI Delitos Informáticos y Estafas to aid investigators in identifying the culprits.
Official Investigation and Prevention Context
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