Cuban content creator Yordanka Garrido (@yordankagarrido) warned in a video about a new type of telephone scam that is impacting numerous families on the island, especially in the province of Matanzas.
Scammers call victims claiming that they have a package sent from abroad, but in order to receive it, they must pay an alleged delivery fee in advance using the Transfermóvil app.
In some cases, criminals ask individuals to authenticate their banking information and transfer money to a card, threatening that if they do not comply, the shipment will be returned to the country of origin.
"My mother-in-law just texted me to ask if we have sent anything. A fake agency is calling her and informing her that they are leaving from Matanzas to deliver her package, but she needs to use the phone and follow some steps on Transfermóvil. They are asking her to authenticate her information and transfer money to a card number for the cost of the postal package, and if she doesn’t do it, they won’t deliver the package," Garrido reported.
Fortunately, the mother-in-law reacted quickly to the suspicion of a scam.
“She said that she had no connection at that moment and couldn’t make the payment. She called us immediately because she was unaware of the arrival of any package. I’m sharing this so that neither the people in Cuba nor those here (in the U.S.) fall for the scam,” she explained in her video.
After her report, several users on social media confirmed they had gone through the same situation, especially residents of Matanzas and the municipality of Colón, suggesting that the scammers are actively operating in that region.
This type of deception is not new in Cuba, but it has increased with the rise of digital commerce and mobile transfers. In most cases, those affected are unable to recover their money because Cuban banking authorities claim they cannot reverse transactions that users have voluntarily initiated.
The complaints highlight a lack of control and tracking of digital transactions, in a context where Cubans are increasingly dependent on platforms like Transfermóvil and EnZona for their daily payments.
Experts and users warn against sharing personal or banking information over the phone, and recommend verifying any information about shipments or remittances directly with official agencies or with relatives abroad before making any transactions.
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