Fake Cancún Vacation Scam Busted: 8 Arrested

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Authorities have dismantled a fraudulent call center in Cancún that sold fake tourist packages, generating nearly one million pesos in monthly profits while deceiving victims. The Quintana Roo Attorney General's Office (FGE) arrested eight individuals in connection with the scheme, which operated for at least three years.

Operation and Deception Tactics

The call center, located in Supermanzana 40 in Cancún, used false advertisements on social media and websites to lure victims. Operators contacted random phone numbers via WhatsApp, offering discounted vacation packages with promises of luxury hotel stays.

Fake promotional materials included photos of hotel rooms, falsely advertised at a base price of 3,500 pesos per night. Victims were convinced to make deposits under the pretense of securing accommodations at high-end Cancún resorts.

Financial Gains and Arrests

The fraudulent operation paid its employees weekly salaries ranging from 8,000 to 20,000 pesos, with commissions of up to 35% on fraudulent sales. According to Raciel López Salazar, head of the FGE, the suspects frequently closed bank accounts used for transfers, blocked victims' WhatsApp numbers, and changed the travel agency's business name to evade detection.

Investigators believe the detained individuals worked for a criminal group linked to violence, which received 50% of the profits—estimated at 300,000 to 400,000 pesos per month. Among the eight arrested, three were women, all of whom have been formally charged.

Low Complaint Rates Despite High Profits

Despite the scheme's profitability, the National Commission for the Protection and Defense of Financial Services Users (Condusef) reported few complaints related to this crime in Quintana Roo. Karina Sandoval García, head of Condusef's user assistance unit in the state, stated that less than 10% of this year's complaints involved fraudulent vacation package sales.

The case highlights ongoing challenges in combating digital fraud targeting tourists in Mexico's popular vacation destinations.