Two Men Arrested in Cancún for ATM Scams Targeting Elderly

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Two men have been arrested in Cancún for allegedly defrauding elderly people at ATM machines, swapping their bank cards for fake ones and using the stolen cards to make online purchases and withdraw cash.

The suspects, identified as Jorge Manuel N., 41, nicknamed “El Chavelo,” and Ulises N., 35, also known as “El Bolillo,” are both from the State of Mexico. Municipal police officers made the arrest in the Supermanzana 62 area after finding them in possession of small bags of drugs. A search turned up 55 bags of marijuana and 20 doses of crystal meth, and they were turned over to the State Prosecutor’s Office on drug charges.

Investigators later linked the pair to fraud and thefts against bank customers. The State Prosecutor’s Office said the men targeted vulnerable people, mostly older adults, at ATM areas inside shopping malls. They approached their would-be victims, pretended to help them with their transactions and, in the confusion, exchanged the customers’ bank cards for worthless plastic cards. The stolen cards were then used for online purchases or cash withdrawals.

The Prosecutor’s Office also said the men sold drugs in various parts of the city and may have been involved in cloning credit and debit cards.

A control judge ordered justified preventive detention for the suspects while their case is pending. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday, when a judge could formally charge them.