Related videos:
A growing alarm regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and social engineering techniques to carry out financial scams is once again shaking Cuba, this time from Guantánamo, where specialists have confirmed the dismantling of a network dedicated to deceiving individuals during the buying and selling of United States dollars.
The case was presented at the IV National Cybersecurity Conference, according to the Cuban News Agency (ACN).
The situation is significant. In a country where the shortage of foreign currency defines daily life and where most dollar transactions occur outside the banking system, criminals are taking advantage of the most basic needs of the population, such as receiving a remittance, exchanging cash, or settling an urgent payment.
During a conference at the Computing Palace in Guantánamo, Master in Science Arnaldo Fernández Basulto alerted that scammers used false messages, impersonated identities, and advanced digital tools to gain the trust of their victims.
Some operations included posing as family members to request money; others involved using AI-generated content to extort vulnerable individuals, as noted by ACN.
Although the MININT did not provide details about the full extent of this local network, the case fits into a context of increasing sophistication of digital crime on the island, where state control over informal economic flows is diminishing as risks for citizens rise.
A context marked by parallel networks and increasingly complex scams
The phenomenon is not isolated. The recent national case of the alleged "financier" Humberto Julio Mora Caballero, presented by the regime as the leader of a structure that moved hundreds of thousands of dollars from the U.S., raised further alarms about the rise of illegal financial networks operating from abroad and within the country.
In that report, the Ministry of Interior itself acknowledged that Cuba is receiving less than 10% of remittances through official channels, while the rest flows through alternative routes that evade state banking control.
That void has created a fertile ground for intermediaries, scammers, and fraudulent schemes that promise quick solutions to families who depend on remittances from abroad to survive.
For the average citizen, caught between inflation, a scarcity of dollars, and an ever-uncertain informal market, distinguishing between a legitimate operation and a scam becomes increasingly difficult each day.
AI: a tool for crime... and also for defense
Experts gathered in Guantánamo warned that artificial intelligence is being used by criminals to create fake documents, automate attacks, and produce manipulated content for extortion purposes. However, they also emphasized that it can become an ally in detecting threats in seconds, simulating attacks, and training institutions and workers.
The event highlighted AI projects developed in Cuba, such as "Cecilia" and new systems created by Etecsa and local telecenters, including virtual presenters and automated announcers for continuous programming.
The ACN also noted that specialists and technicians agreed on the urgency of establishing a “cybersecurity culture” in a country where digital crimes are growing alongside the economic collapse. With millions of Cubans seeking alternatives to exchange or receive dollars, the risk of falling victim to scams is only increasing.
In an environment where necessity drives many to rely on strangers, the dismantling of this network is yet another reminder of how vulnerable Cubans are in the face of an economic and technological landscape that increasingly leaves them exposed.
Filed under: