A sophisticated digital scammer, known for using multiple false identities, was captured after months of monitoring by the Dijín Cyber Center. The man, who acted alone and from his own home, was dedicated to impersonating older adults to appropriate their pension money, taking advantage of the fact that many of them did not monitor their financial platforms.
The investigation began with several citizen complaints in Bogotá, filed both in the Prosecutor’s Office and in the Virtual CAI. They all agreed on a pattern: elderly victims who, from one moment to the next, stopped receiving their payments without explanation. The Police detected that behind these cases there was the same method and, finally, the same person responsible.
How the scammer operated
The cybercriminal obtained personal information by applying deception and obtaining databases thanks to a job that allowed him to have contact with client information. With this data he created false documents, even ID cards with his own face, which he used to circumvent the biometric controls required by financial institutions.
Once he had everything, he entered the victims’ pension portals, modified the registered bank accounts and sent the resources to financial products created by him. He then withdrew the money in small transactions to avoid alerts. Each fraud could take up to half a year of preparation.
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In the raid carried out at the time of the capture, the uniformed officers found 39 adulterated ID cards, 24 cards, electronic equipment and abundant personal information of the victims.
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Bogota City
The error that allowed it to be identified
Although he impersonated more than ten different people and obsessively guarded his digital traces, he made one key oversight: He purchased a pair of shoes and registered their real address for delivery. This physical data, crossed with the telephone number that appeared on bank validations, made it possible to locate his place of residence.
Monitoring was strengthened with the support of financial and telecommunications entities. Thanks to voice matching, database analysis, review of movements on digital portals and interceptions, investigators confirmed that all the identities used corresponded to the same man.
He is in prison and the investigation leaves a warning
The scammer was sent to jail while the judicial process against him progresses. According to researchers, the case shows how criminals take advantage of the lack of review of online accounts, especially among older people, and the risk of publishing personal data on social networks.
The Police reiterated that the Virtual CAI works 24 hours a day to receive reports of possible digital fraud and asked citizens to be alert to any unusual movement in their financial products.