The legal framework
Article 172 of the Código Penal (Penal Code) punishes fraud — defrauding another by a false name, a feigned quality, false titles, abuse of trust or any trick or deception (ardid o engaño) — with 1 month to 6 years, and article 173, paragraph 16 (Law 26.388 of 2008), fraud 'by any technique of computer manipulation' with the same penalty; identity theft is not a separate offence (bills are pending), and extortion (article 168) carries 5 to 10 years. Reports can be made at any police station (comisaría), to the prosecutor (fiscalía), to the UFECI (part of the Ministerio Público Fiscal de la Nación, the federal prosecution service, with online reports on fiscales.gob.ar) or to the specialised provincial prosecutors' offices (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Santa Fe); the Dirección Nacional de Ciberseguridad (national cybersecurity directorate) and the Agencia de Acceso a la Información Pública (the data protection authority) give guidance. The Banco Central de la República Argentina (BCRA, the Central Bank), in Comunicación A 7319 of 2021 and later circulars, requires banks to refund unauthorised transactions, to verify the customer's identity and credit profile before granting pre-approved loans — the 'emptied account' fraud (cuenta vaciada), in which the fraudster takes out a loan in the victim's name — and to allow transfers to be blocked; transfers ordered by the victim are not refunded, although the consumer protection authorities (Defensa del Consumidor) and the courts have held banks liable for loans granted to fraudsters. Scams via WhatsApp (impersonation of contacts), social networks and dating apps with cryptocurrency 'investments' have multiplied since 2020; the UFECI receives tens of thousands of reports a year, and money is rarely recovered. Fraud is time-barred after six years.
The Argentine romance scam looks like those found everywhere, with a formidable local variant: the 'emptied account', in which the fraudster, having gained access to the victim's online banking, takes out a pre-approved loan in his or her name and transfers it at once — the victim is left not only robbed but in debt. Since 2021 the Central Bank has tightened the verification duties of banks and of digital wallets (billeteras virtuales such as Mercado Pago and Ualá), and the courts annul these loans: something every British or Irish resident with an Argentine account should know, since they use the same banks as everyone else. The other local classics are a contact's WhatsApp account hijacked to ask friends for an urgent transfer in pesos, and a fake call from the bank asking 'for security' for access codes. From a distance, Britons and Irish people meet romance scammers with Argentine profiles, who often move on to cryptocurrency 'investments' on unregistered platforms.
Where the money went decides who can help. From an Argentine account: report in Argentina (online to the UFECI, possible with a passport), ask the prosecutor to freeze the receiving account or wallet, and complain to the bank and, if it refuses, to the Central Bank. From a UK account: report to Report Fraud (the service that replaced Action Fraud in December 2025; in Scotland, to Police Scotland) and to your bank, with the Financial Ombudsman Service if it refuses; the UK's mandatory reimbursement of authorised push-payment fraud, up to 85,000 pounds since October 2024, covers Faster Payments and CHAPS transfers between UK accounts — not an international transfer to an Argentine account, but possibly a first payment to a UK account controlled by the fraudster. Irish residents report to An Garda Síochána and their bank. Cross-border investigations are slow, and recovering money that has left the country is exceptional.
Key points
| Offence | Fraud and computer fraud: 1 month to 6 years (articles 172 and 173.16); extortion 5 to 10 years; no separate offence of identity theft |
|---|---|
| Report | Police station, prosecutor, UFECI (online) or specialised provincial prosecutors' offices; possible with a passport |
| Bank refund | Unauthorised transactions refunded (Central Bank); loans taken out by fraudsters can be annulled if the bank did not check the profile; voluntary transfers not refunded |
| Blocking | Banks must allow transfers to be blocked, and the prosecutor can ask for receiving accounts and digital wallets (Mercado Pago, Ualá…) to be frozen |
| Limitation | 6 years for fraud |
| Figures | Tens of thousands of reports a year to the UFECI; online banking fraud and WhatsApp scams lead; romance scams with 'investment' are growing |
| UK and Irish side | Report Fraud (Police Scotland in Scotland); UK reimbursement of authorised push-payment fraud up to 85,000 pounds since October 2024, for transfers between UK accounts; Financial Ombudsman Service; in Ireland, An Garda Síochána |
In practice
- Report at a police station or online to the UFECI with the evidence (screenshots, receipts and the receiving CBU or CVU, the identifiers of Argentine bank and wallet accounts) and ask the prosecutor to freeze the receiving account or wallet: digital wallets respond within hours.
- Tell the bank at once; if the fraudster took out a loan in your name, demand its annulment citing the Central Bank's communications, and complain to Defensa del Consumidor (Law 24.240).
- Complain to the bank in writing and, without a reply within 10 days, to the Central Bank (Protección al Usuario de Servicios Financieros) or to Defensa del Consumidor; actions against banks over fraudulent loans succeed, for foreigners with an Argentine account as for anyone.
- Check with the Comisión Nacional de Valores (CNV, the securities regulator) that any 'investment' platform suggested by a contact is registered — those used in romance scams never are; for a firm claiming to be British, check the FCA register and warning list.
- Never send money or personal data to someone you have not met in person; victims can turn to the Centro de Asistencia a las Víctimas de Delitos (Línea 137 or 0800-333-1145) and to the Defensoría del Pueblo (the ombudsman). Turn on two-step verification in WhatsApp and never pass on a code received by text message. If the money left a UK account, report to Report Fraud and your UK bank as well.
Cost and coverage
Reports, the UFECI and complaints to the Central Bank and Defensa del Consumidor are free; civil proceedings require a lawyer (free legal assistance depending on income). In the UK, Report Fraud and the Financial Ombudsman Service are free.
Recent changes
The Central Bank tightened the verification duties of banks and wallets in 2021-2024; the UFECI broadened online reporting; the courts have held banks liable for fraudulent loans; bills to make identity theft and digital fraud offences are under debate in Congress. In the UK, mandatory reimbursement of authorised push-payment fraud has applied since October 2024.
Where to go
- UFECI — Unidad Fiscal Especializada en Ciberdelincuencia: online reports (fiscales.gob.ar).
- Central Bank — Protección al Usuario de Servicios Financieros: complaints against banks; Defensa del Consumidor (Law 24.240): 0800-666-1518.
- Línea 137 / 0800-333-1145: assistance to victims of crime; British Embassy in Buenos Aires: lists of lawyers and help with lost passports; Irish citizens: Embassy of Ireland in Buenos Aires.
- In the UK: Report Fraud and the Financial Ombudsman Service; in Ireland: An Garda Síochána.
Worth knowing
The costliest Argentine variant is the 'emptied account': the fraudster gains access, takes out a pre-approved loan in the victim's name and transfers it. The Central Bank requires banks to check, and the courts annul these loans: always complain. But money transferred voluntarily to a 'fiancé' in Argentina does not come back from an Argentine bank — and anyone who offers to 'recover' it for a fee belongs to the same network.
Frequently asked questions
I sent money from the UK to an 'Argentine' I met online — what should I do?
Report to Report Fraud (or Police Scotland) with the screenshots, statements and receiving account details; tell your bank at once and ask for the payment to be recalled — rarely possible once the money has been withdrawn. If you paid a UK account by Faster Payments, the reimbursement rules in force since October 2024 may apply; an international transfer to an Argentine account is not covered. If the receiving account is Argentine, also file an online report with the UFECI and ask for it to be frozen. The money is rarely recovered, but the report links cases and protects you if your own account is later suspected of laundering.
How can I check that an Argentine contact is who he or she claims to be?
A reverse image search on the photos, a real video call, consistency of the DNI (the national identity number appears on public documents), a check of any company in the public register (the Inspección General de Justicia in Buenos Aires) and of any investment platform with the Comisión Nacional de Valores. A refusal to appear on video, a financial emergency and an 'exclusive' platform are the three tell-tale signs.
My Argentine bank refuses to cancel a loan a fraudster took out in my name — what can I do?
Complain in writing to the bank, then, without a reply within ten days, to the Central Bank (Protección al Usuario de Servicios Financieros) and to Defensa del Consumidor, citing the bank's duty to check the customer's profile before any pre-approved loan (Comunicación A 7319 and later circulars). The civil courts annul such loans and sometimes award damages against the bank; the action is free for consumers in several jurisdictions. Being a foreigner with an Argentine account changes nothing.
Official sources and links
- Penal Code — articles 172 and 173 (fraud) — official text
- Central Bank — protection of users of financial services — rights and complaints
- Ministerio Público Fiscal — UFECI — reports and guides
- Report Fraud (UK) — reporting fraud involving UK accounts
- argentina.gob.ar — official portal of the Argentine state: procedures, civil registry, migration, health, justice
- Normativa nacional (InfoLeg) — official texts of Argentine laws and decrees
- British Embassy Buenos Aires — gov.uk — consular help, notarial and documentary services for British nationals in Argentina