Paraguayan Deputy Rocío Vallejo Reports Cyberattack That Drained Her Bank Account

Paraguayan legislator Rocío Vallejo of the Patria Querida party said her Banco Itaú account was emptied after a cyberattack on 1 August. The fraudsters withdrew roughly 35 million guaraníes and pushed the account into a negative balance.

Investigators suspect a group of Venezuelan nationals, naming three suspects. Police detained one individual, 38‑year‑old Miguel Eduardo Martínez Guzmán, during a raid in Fernando de la Mora. Forensic analysis points to the remote‑access trojan Remcos, either installed on Vallejo’s computer or used through a fake banking site, to capture her credentials and token.

The National Police’s specialized cyber‑crime unit and the Public Ministry are probing the case, while the Central Bank of Paraguay has issued warnings on multi‑factor authentication and safe online banking practices.