Argentina: AI Fraud

Artificial intelligence is already showing up in real fraud cases in Argentina, from bank scams based on vishing to schemes that combine synthetic voices and faces of public figures with fake seals from recognized media outlets to push bogus investments. At the same time, electoral authorities and the organizations consulted in different surveys still do not have formal protocols to detect deepfakes or systematically monitor disinformation generated by AI.

Synthetic Identity Fraud

Infobae described a new fraud method in which criminals use artificial intelligence to imitate the voices and faces of celebrities. The deception is reinforced with visual elements that appear to come from well-known media outlets, with the goal of promoting fake investments. According to that coverage, victims end up transferring money convinced the message is authentic and, in most cases, never recover what they lost.

The tactic fits a broader trend in digital impersonation, where the value of content no longer depends only on a convincing image or audio clip, but on the ability to pass that material off as a trusted source. In this case, the mix of synthetic identity and media branding is designed to make the fraud more credible and speed up the transfer of funds.

Bank Vishing and Home Banking Lockouts

Mendoza Viva reported on another banking scam in Argentina based on vishing. The scheme starts with the victim's home banking being blocked and continues with a phone call in which the attackers pretend to be the bank and ask for credentials. The coverage notes that the lockout may be real, but the supposed operator's identity is fake.

The official recommendations cited by that outlet say users should hang up and contact the bank through official channels. They also warn against giving out usernames, passwords, PINs, tokens, or codes received by text message. In this kind of case, identity theft happens in real time and takes advantage of the urgency created by a locked account.

No Clear Protocols for Deepfakes

At the same time, Turing Magazine cited an IDEA International report saying that electoral authorities in several Latin American countries, including Argentina, have added chatbots for citizen service. However, there are practically no formal protocols to detect deepfakes or to systematically monitor AI-generated disinformation in election processes.

La Nación, meanwhile, reported on a study by the Buenos Aires City Ombudsman's Office based on 912 students between the ages of 12 and 19. Only 1% said they had been direct victims of deepfakes, but 13% said they knew of cases in their school environment. The same report says cybersecurity and regulation specialists warn about the lack of accessible tools and clear protocols to verify the authenticity of digital content, and that commercial detection solutions have still not become widely available in the country.

That gap leaves users, schools, and public agencies with few operational tools against manipulated content, both in fraud campaigns and in electoral and educational settings.