Be Aware, Don’t Fall in Snare

ARTEMISA.— Dawn finds young Adriana among various samples for clinical diagnoses in the provincial microbiology lab; Ana, a retired educator after 42 years of service, continues contributing to her family’s economy from a makeshift sales point at home; meanwhile, Yuli, a communicator in a state entity, strives to grow her audience by creating engaging digital content.

They are women of different ages, all workers, but what else unites them? Though they didn’t know each other, they fell into the same trap. Through WhatsApp, a mutual friend asked them for money transfers, promising to return the cash one-to-one.

“It was a gift. I could avoid the long bank lines to withdraw a few bills, or the hassle of paying new economic actors through payment gateways,” one confesses. “I quickly authenticated and transferred 10,000 pesos, then another 20,000 to the same bank card sent in the chat,” says Yuli.

Within minutes, in different parts of Artemisa, all three complied with the request, sending similar amounts, without making a single phone call to confirm the identity of the sender. Soon, confusion set in: their friend, upon reading the Transfermóvil messages, called them to explain her WhatsApp account had been hacked hours earlier.

“What naivety! How did I not find it strange when I read ‘no me yega el mensaje o el enbia catura de pantalla,’ with such terrible spelling that should have raised suspicion,” reflects Adriana, who, like the others, became a victim of an online scam.

By the Shortest and “Ideal” Path

“On Monday we went early to the headquarters of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR, in Spanish) in the municipality of Artemisa. Separately, we filed our complaints, which perhaps, given the same modus operandi, could be classified as a multiple case,” explains Yuli.

“With our hopes placed in the police investigation, every detail was recounted. We handed over screenshots, phone numbers, bank accounts from two branches… and also the mobile number used by the possible hacker,” adds Adriana.

Thus began another case file concerning a crime defined in Law 51 of the Penal Code, September 2022, which in Article 423, sections 1 and 3, subsection e, establishes possible penalties of up to eight years in prison, depending on aggravating circumstances of fraud.

The investigator did not pause. Using established methodology and prompt action, the traceability of the bank operations was uncovered. Support from the prosecutor’s office and the Holguín police unit was needed to locate and officially summon the user of the card used in the transaction.

The young man from Holguín, only 26 years old and apparently unemployed, appeared days later in Artemisa with the money to compensate Adriana, Ana, and Yuli.

Although defense is always valid, he tried to exonerate himself of responsibility, the investigator recounts.

“He explained that he had lost his documents a year earlier at a fair, including the magnetic card with the PIN written on the back”… Really? But canceling it at the corresponding branch is a duty not everyone takes seriously, and that negligence weighed on him when the card was used to scam others. There are also those who buy cards from emigrants, which carries its own risks.

“Authorized” Scams

“This crime combines account hijacking with today’s desperation to obtain physical cash. Its ally is urgency,” explains Jorge González Fernández, an Artemisa native with more than 25 years in the IT sector, who has helped recover numerous hacked WhatsApp accounts.

“They’re not sophisticated inventions. Those involved in these schemes adapt universal techniques to our context, with many variations.

“Sometimes they make you believe something serious is happening and you must act quickly, without thinking. In that pressured moment, you commit the mistake of sharing a verification code you should never give out.

“They also impersonate a relative or friend (using their photo and name), telling you they have a technical problem and need a code they’ll send you. It’s not for linking anything. WhatsApp sends the code to the scammer’s phone, installs your account on their device, and you hand over full control. They then pose as you and ask your contacts for money.

“Another method is pretending to be Transfermóvil or bank technicians. Under the pretext of an update or a problem with your account, they request verification codes or personal data, hijack your WhatsApp, and potentially your finances,” Jorge adds.

Scams in Numbers

Although in the province, according to the PNR’s Information and Analysis Group, “the most recurrent crimes are those committed against large livestock, general theft, and burglary, computer-related crimes have increased by 82% compared to the same period last year, even with the certainty that not all victims report them.”

Because the structure of these crimes complicates investigations—requiring joint work between Etecsa and the banks—only 6% of the more than 400 complaints filed this year have been solved. Another limitation is that suspects are spread across several provinces, making their location and transfer difficult.

The municipalities of Mariel and Bauta have the highest number of cases, averaging 70, while Alquízar and Candelaria report the fewest scams.

Curiously, police officials note that women, particularly those employed, are the most frequent victims. Ages range between 30 and 39, with most victims having a pre-university education, though more than 60 of those deceived hold higher education degrees. The most common days for scams in the province are Wednesdays, followed by Mondays, with afternoons being the peak time.

The truth is that cash is scarce. At banks, supply and demand are often mismatched. It’s no secret that in many municipalities commissions are paid to obtain physical bills, so the offer of one-to-one transfers seems convenient—yet it is counterproductive, since a WhatsApp account can be easily recovered, but the money almost never returns.

“This type of scam isn’t magic,” says Jorge, who works as head of the IT network at the Comandante Ciro Redondo García Teaching Hospital in the provincial capital.

“I invite you to reflect in these times of social networks. The best defense isn’t antivirus software or a firewall—it’s the timely ability to stop, think, and verify before acting.

“Scammers don’t steal our account. We hand it to them willingly. There’s one rule that saves us 99% of the time: Never transfer digital money unless you see both the cash and the person’s face at the same time,” he states categorically. And indeed, Adriana, Ana, and Yuli have now learned that lesson.

5 Tips to Protect Yourself

   •  Activate two-step verification.
   •  Settings > Account > Two-step verification and create a six-digit PIN. Add a recovery email.
   •  Never share verification codes.
   •  Regularly check linked devices (Settings > Linked devices) and log out of any you don’t recognize.
   •  Keep your phone and the app updated.
   •  For any request, be suspicious: verify with a voice call, not through WhatsApp.
(Recommendations by González Fernández)

Acerca del autor

Yudaisis Moreno Benítez

Desde 2005 el periodismo me abre las puertas en Radio Artemisa, con la posibilidad de reorientar mi carrera al cursar estudios en el Instituto Internacional de Periodismo José Martí. Soy licenciada en Educación, en la especialidad de Defectología, y ya había cumplido varias tareas, incluso en la Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas.
Los resultados en el medio radial me condujeron a que, en 2011, al crearse la provincia de Artemisa, ocupara la responsabilidad de Corresponsal Jefa de la Agencia de Información Nacional, nombrada poco después Agencia Cubana de Noticias.
En ese mismo tiempo, alternaba como parte del ejecutivo de la Unión de Periodistas de Cuba, en el territorio, y posteriormente me desempeñé como su Presidenta; hasta que, en agosto de 2014 la dirección del Partido me designó directora del su Órgano Oficial, el periódico El Artemiseño, labor que continúo desempeñando.
Las funciones de dirección siguen aportando a la pasión por el periodismo, de ahí que mantenga publicaciones del acontecer de mi provincia en mi órgano de prensa Artemiseño, y en medios nacionales de comunicación, con mayor estabilidad, y representando tanto de compromiso como de orgullo, en el periódico Trabajadores.

Compartir...