A network allegedly involved in defrauding ETECSA through international top-ups has come to light following an exposé on the Cuban television show "Hacemos Cuba," aired on Canal Caribe. This scheme reportedly includes the involvement of "a Cuban resident in the United States" with connections in Havana, Artemisa, and Holguín provinces.
While the state-run source did not specify the number of arrests, it disclosed that police seized over 40 million Cuban pesos in three home raids in the capital. Additionally, authorities confiscated a car, a satellite dish, money counting machines, computers, magnetic cards, and phones.
The Digital Scheme Unveiled
The operation allegedly functioned through digital platforms like Soky Recargas Online, which purported to offer international top-ups to Cubans on the island. However, according to the state enterprise, these platforms transferred national balances while keeping the foreign currency outside the country.
How the Operation Worked
Colonel Marcos Yobany Rodríguez González from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) explained that these platforms operated as if they were official, replicating ETECSA's promotional offers. The money, however, never reached the Cuban company. Instead of a true international top-up, a national one was conducted using balance accumulated by local telecom agents or intermediaries.
This meant the Cuban customer received a balance, but not the usual benefits ETECSA provides in its promotions, such as "unlimited data from 12:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m." or free WhatsApp usage. Colonel Rodríguez noted, "The foreign currency remained with them," and national distributors provided local top-ups. The scheme profited further from the exchange rate differential on the informal market.
International Top-Up or National Scam?
ETECSA stated that if someone abroad sent $20 USD, the money would be exchanged on the black market where the dollar exceeds 370 CUP. This allowed the perpetrators to buy multiple 110 CUP national packages and resell the balance, increasing their profits while the Cuban recipient received a less valuable service.
An unnamed ETECSA directive mentioned that users began visiting company offices to complain about services promised by their relatives abroad, which lacked the gigabytes, messages, or nighttime benefits. Michel Rodríguez Averoff, ETECSA's Cybersecurity Director, highlighted how to spot the difference: a legitimate international top-up message includes additional bonuses not found in national top-ups.
He also warned that only 16 official distributors are authorized by ETECSA for international top-ups, and any other site or platform offering them is not legally validated by the company.
Cuban Authorities Label the Scam as "Sabotage"
José Luis Reyes Blanco, the chief prosecutor of the Directorate of Criminal Processes, stated that the acts in question qualify as "sabotage," causing direct economic harm to the State and critical infrastructure. "The beneficiary is a victim in this process," he clarified, adding that "everyone involved in the top-up sale is committing a crime." Authorities emphasize that the impact is not only financial— in foreign currency ETECSA has lost—but also affects the technical and commercial operation of the service, which relies on this economic flow.
In addition to sabotage, the Ministry of the Interior and the Prosecutor's Office mention possible related crimes such as "fraud, illegal currency trafficking, and improper use of commercial licenses." Investigations are ongoing, according to the Ministry of the Interior, "with the legal guarantees established by Cuban law." The mention of such "frauds" was one of the reasons cited by ETECSA to enforce the unpopular measure limiting national top-ups to a maximum of 360 Cuban pesos (CUP) every 30 days, which recently sparked a wave of public discontent. In response to criticism, the Cuban Telecommunications Company announced a new mobile data plan offering 2 GB for 1,200 Cuban pesos, available from June 20.
Frequently Asked Questions about ETECSA Top-Up Fraud
How did the fraudulent scheme operate?
The scheme operated by using digital platforms that pretended to offer international top-ups but actually transferred national balances while keeping the foreign currency outside Cuba.
What items did authorities seize from the suspects?
Authorities seized over 40 million Cuban pesos, a car, a satellite dish, money counting machines, computers, magnetic cards, and phones during the raids.
Why is this operation considered "sabotage" by Cuban authorities?
Cuban authorities consider it "sabotage" due to the direct economic damage to the State and its critical infrastructure, as well as the overall disruption to ETECSA's financial and operational stability.