A Cuban woman recently took to social media to share her harrowing experience of falling victim to a bank transfer scam. This case highlights a prevalent fraud in Cuba: digital identity theft to steal money via Transfermóvil.
"I've been scammed, and I'm here to share my story so it won't happen to you," said Fla Gaché in a video she posted on Instagram on February 26. She detailed the deceit and warned others about this lurking danger.
In her account, Gaché described receiving a text message from someone she recognized from her neighborhood. The individual urgently needed help with a bank transfer due to being in a location that only accepted that form of payment.
Her familiarity with the sender bred trust. "A girl I know, who even lives near me, reached out. She mentioned she'd seen me post about needing to withdraw cash from my card," Gaché explained.
Gaché proceeded with the transfer hastily, partly due to frequent internet disruptions caused by power outages in her area, which prevented her from verifying the situation calmly. After completing the transaction, she called her acquaintance, who revealed her number had been hacked—it was all a scam.
This fraudulent tactic is part of a well-documented pattern in Cuba. Scammers employ a technique called "Ghost Pairing," tricking phone owners into sharing verification codes, thus linking accounts to other devices without detection.
Once inside, these con artists contact the victim's acquaintances, urgently requesting money transfers.
Seeking assistance from the bank proved futile. "The bank told me they couldn't do anything. The only option was to go to the police." Transfers via Transfermóvil and EnZona are irreversible by design; Cuban banks cannot refund money without a court order or evidence of a technical error, leaving victims with few immediate remedies.
The police response was equally disheartening. Officers questioned the victim's awareness of such scams. "Their response was: 'Didn't you know this was happening?'"
In response, the woman sarcastically retorted, "The scammer doesn't introduce themselves by saying... Hello, I'm here to scam you." Such institutional responses are not isolated; Cuban police have refused to investigate similar complaints in other regions.
Gaché noted that several individuals in her circle have faced similar scams, even involving relatives abroad. "They've reached out to family members in other countries and scammed dollars from them."
She also contemplated the severe impact this type of fraud could have on vulnerable people: "I've thought a lot about how devastating this would be for an elderly person with just 4,000 pesos from their pension to live on for the month. If that's taken away, I don't know what they'd do."
In April 2025, Cuban authorities successfully apprehended scammers in Sancti Spíritus and Holguín using this method, recovering 230,000 pesos. Yet, such successful interventions are rare.
The Central Bank of Cuba has issued numerous warnings, emphasizing that no official administrators from Transfermóvil, EnZona, or banks contact clients via private messages. However, the combination of energy crises, urgency, and personal trust remains fertile ground for criminals.
Alarmingly, fraudsters impersonating Transfermóvil technicians have also been targeted in specific alerts in the country, underscoring that the issue extends beyond impersonation to include those feigning official representation.
"They're doing things we can't even comprehend, so please be extremely cautious," Gaché concluded in her video.
Understanding Bank Transfer Scams in Cuba
How do scammers execute bank transfer fraud in Cuba?
Scammers in Cuba often use a technique called "Ghost Pairing" to access victims' accounts. They trick the phone owner into providing a verification code, allowing them to link the account to another device without the victim's awareness. They then contact the victim's acquaintances, urgently requesting money transfers.
What challenges do victims face when seeking help from banks and police?
Victims often find banks unable to reverse transactions made via Transfermóvil and EnZona, as these are irreversible by design. They are advised to approach the police, but responses have been unsatisfactory, with officers questioning the victim's awareness of ongoing scams.
Have any successful actions been taken against such scams?
In April 2025, Cuban authorities managed to capture scammers in Sancti Spíritus and Holguín. They recovered 230,000 pesos, but these successful actions are exceptions rather than the rule.