AI Scam Network Dismantled in Guantánamo Unveils Growing Threat in Cuba

An increasing alarm about the exploitation of artificial intelligence (AI) and social engineering techniques for financial scams has once again shaken Cuba. This time, the focus is on Guantánamo, where experts have confirmed the dismantling of a network that was deceiving people during transactions involving U.S. dollars.

The case was highlighted during the Fourth National Cybersecurity Conference, as reported by the Cuban News Agency (ACN).

The situation is significant. In a nation where a shortage of foreign currency dominates daily life, and most dollar transactions occur outside the formal banking system, criminals are capitalizing on the fundamental needs of the populace, such as receiving remittances, exchanging bills, or managing urgent payments.

During a talk at Guantánamo's Palace of Computing, Master of Science Arnaldo Fernández Basulto warned that scammers employed fake messages, impersonated identities, and advanced digital tools to earn the trust of their victims.

Some schemes involved posing as relatives to request money, while others used AI-generated content to extort vulnerable individuals, according to the ACN report.

Though the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) did not provide details on the full extent of this local network, the incident is part of a broader trend of increasingly sophisticated digital crimes in Cuba. The state's control over informal economic activities is waning, heightening the risks for citizens.

Complex Web of Scams and Illegal Networks

This issue is not isolated. The recent national case of alleged "financier" Humberto Julio Mora Caballero, portrayed by the regime as the head of a structure moving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the U.S., has raised further alarms about the rise of illegal financial networks operating both abroad and within the country.

In that case, the Ministry of the Interior acknowledged that Cuba is receiving less than 10% of remittances through official channels, with the rest flowing through alternative routes that bypass state banking control.

This gap has become fertile ground for intermediaries, scammers, and fraudulent schemes promising quick solutions to families reliant on foreign money for survival.

AI: A Double-Edged Sword

For the average citizen, caught between inflation, the dollar shortage, and an always uncertain informal market, discerning a legitimate operation from a scam grows increasingly challenging.

Experts gathered in Guantánamo warned that AI is being used by criminals to forge documents, automate attacks, and create manipulated content for extortion. However, they also emphasized that it could be an ally in detecting threats swiftly, simulating attacks, and training institutions and workers.

The conference showcased AI projects developed in Cuba, such as "Cecilia" and new systems by Etecsa and local telecenters, including virtual presenters and automated broadcasters for continuous programming.

The ACN also noted that specialists and technicians agreed on the urgent need for a "cybersecurity culture" in a country where digital crimes are escalating alongside the economic collapse. With millions of Cubans seeking alternatives to exchange or receive dollars, the risk of falling for scams only increases.

In an environment where necessity drives many to trust strangers, dismantling this network is merely another reminder of how vulnerable Cubans are amid an economic and technological landscape that increasingly exposes them.