The Argentine creator Rocío Juanes (@rocio.juanes) went viral on TikTok after sharing that she was scammed as soon as she arrived in Havana. Her story, told with humor and authenticity, sparked thousands of comments from travelers and Cubans who debated the charm, cunning, and challenges of the island.
"I was scammed as soon as I arrived in Havana," Rocío begins telling in her first video. "As soon as I step out of the hotel, everyone rushes at me to ask for things or talk to me, but it's all men. So, when a woman approached me, I thought it was different."
The woman assured him that she worked at the same hotel where he was staying and recommended another restaurant to have lobster. “I would love to see that moment from the outside, because the girl is a 10 at charming people,” she joked. Rocío agreed and accompanied her, unaware that she was falling into a very common trap for newly arrived tourists.
“We entered the place, he told me to sit down, it was four in the afternoon and I wasn't hungry, but I ended up ordering takeout. He started talking to me about the barbecue, about Messi, and then he asked for a coffee and five dollars to buy milk for his daughter,” he recounted. “Five dollars, which is a lot. It’s one thing to choose to help, and another to get screwed over,” he summarized with laughter.
Upon returning to the hotel, he found that the woman didn't work there and that it had all been a scam. Nevertheless, he decided not to let it ruin his mood: “I got cheated, but I ended up making friends. I took a ride in classic cars with some Colombians, we had dinner, danced... I had a blast,” he said in another video.
The reactions on TikTok were immediate. “I had the same experience, but with cigars,” wrote a follower. “They took us to a bar, we ordered mojitos, and ended up paying the entire bill,” shared an Argentine. Others defended the Cubans, claiming that “they survive as best as they can.” And there were also those who questioned the destination: “Why would you go to Cuba?” asked a user. Rocío responded without hesitation: “Because beyond this, it’s a paradise.”
Days later, the young woman posted a third video to explain why she believes what she experienced was truly a scam. “She lied to me, telling me she was an employee of the hotel, and that built trust. She took me away from the main square, led me through increasingly unpleasant areas, told me everything closed at four when it was actually fifteen minutes to four, and made me believe she was my only option for food,” she explained. “I didn't have data, I couldn't connect to the wifi, and she left me in a small shop with no exit, surrounded, not knowing how to get back. She kept lying to me until the end. She put me in a vulnerable situation, and when I had no other choice, she asked me for five dollars. That is a scam,” she asserted.
Despite everything, Rocío made it clear that her overall experience in Cuba was positive. “I loved Havana. The people are joyful, friendly, very warm. I was fascinated,” she said.
“It was tough to start out like that, alone and with that experience, but then it got better. I loved Cuba”, she wrote. And as she herself summarized, with a mix of naiveté and good humor: “Yes, I was scammed, but I ate lobster, made friends, and confirmed that Cuba, despite everything, is still a paradise.”
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