An important operation against cybercrime carried out by the National Police of Paraguay and the State Attorney General’s Office left four detainees in the city of Ciudad del Este, department of Alto Paraná.
According to authorities, those arrested were part of a gang that defrauded Argentine citizens through web banking. Cybercriminals gained access to their victims’ bank accounts through phishing techniques, which consist of sending fraudulent messages that imitate those from legitimate entities.
Once they gained access to the accounts, the criminals transferred the money to companies based in Ciudad del Este for money laundering.
In the operation, authorities seized weapons, cell phones, documents and cash.
Among those detained are Rodrigo David Díaz Acosta, who fell in Hernandarias; and the Venezuelan José Luis Cáceres Varela, who was located in the San José neighborhood of Ciudad del Este. The latter is required by Argentine justice, so his extradition is not ruled out.
Gladys Sosa Barboza and Ernesto Paniagua were also arrested.
Prosecutors Irma Llano and Silvana Otazú, in charge of the investigation, indicated that the gang swindled their victims out of an amount of up to $20,000 per person.
The authorities recommend that citizens be alert to fraudulent messages circulating via email or social networks. If you receive a message of this type, you should never enter links or provide personal information.