Villa Gesell: Woman defrauded of 80,000 USD in phone scam

An 80-year-old woman in Villa Gesell was defrauded of approximately 80,000 USD in cash following a telephone scam. On Thursday, September 10, the victim received a call from an individual impersonating her niece. The caller claimed that due to a purported presidential announcement, any dollars not registered would be invalidated.

The perpetrator instructed the woman that a trusted person would be sent to collect the money for registration purposes, with the promise that the funds would be returned. Shortly after, a man approximately 25 years old, described as short and robust with a rounded face and wearing dark clothing and sunglasses, arrived at the residence. The victim handed over the cash in 100-dollar bills.

The fraud was discovered when the woman contacted her actual niece, who confirmed she had made no such call. Local authorities have launched an investigation, utilizing public and private security camera footage to track the suspect's movements and analyzing telephone communications to identify the perpetrators.