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The Central Bank of Cuba (BCC) issued an official alert on social media this Wednesday to refute what it described as a "mass deception attempt" against the population, circulated through Facebook posts that promise cash deposits in bank accounts on the island during the first week of January.
According to the statement from the BCC, released through its profile on Facebook, the information is completely false and there is no program, donation, or cash delivery operation promoted either by the Cuban banking system or by the United States Government.
The institution directly identified the Spanish citizen Ignacio Jiménez or Giménez as the source of the campaign, who has already been involved in similar episodes of misinformation.
In one of his posts on Facebook, Giménez stated that all Cubans with accounts at Banco Metropolitano, Banco Popular de Ahorro, and Bandec would receive a "New Year's gift," without the need to complete any paperwork.
And even asserted that he would travel to the island to work on a supposed economic project agreed upon with the Cuban government and international organizations.
The BCC classified these statements as an act of mass deception aimed at creating confusion, disturbing public order, and taking advantage of the citizens' situation of need.
The warning comes after a recent incident that revealed the real impact of this type of rumors.
In early December, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Habana Libre hotel in Havana, as well as in similar facilities in Santiago de Cuba, following the spread of a false promise of a payout of 1,100 dollars per person.
The scenes of long lines, collective bewilderment, and a heavy police presence forced the authorities to intervene once the rumor had already spread widely on Facebook and WhatsApp.
Beyond the official denial, this episode highlights an uncomfortable point that institutional discourse avoids addressing: the ease with which an implausible promise mobilizes crowds speaks less to the credibility of the scammer and more to the level of accumulated economic desperation.
In a country where cash is scarce, banks have no money, and daily survival is an obstacle course, any narrative of "help" finds fertile ground, even when it borders on the absurd.
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