The Global Advisor: Spotlight on Latin America | June 2025
Argentina
Location of recorded incidents in April and May 2025
Source: Control Risks
Scammers virtually kidnap man in Córdoba (Córdoba province)
Criminals on 23 April 2025 virtual kidnapped a 29-year-old man in Córdoba (Córdoba province) by cloning his voice and making extortive phone calls to his parents. The criminals demanded that his parents deliver all the money they had available, along with gold jewellery and any other valuables in exchange for their son’s release. The parents met these demands, but the scammers attempted to extort more from them. When the parents informed the supposed kidnappers that they had handed over everything they had, the criminals informed them that they never had their son captive. The parents were then able to contact their son and realized the case was a virtual kidnapping.
Control Risks comment
The prevalence of virtual kidnaps throughout Latin America increased substantially during the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period the previous year. Similar increases have also been seen in Argentina despite the country having one of the most benign threat environments in the region. The use of artificial intelligence is increasingly common in regional hotspots such as Mexico, largely because it enhances the deception capabilities of virtual kidnappers and improves their chances of receiving ransom payments. Such cases are likely to become more common in Argentina over the next six months.
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