Woman Who Posed as Canaco President Faces Criminal Charges for Allegedly Diverting Membership Fees

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A woman who claimed to be president of the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism of Playa del Carmen (Canaco) has been criminally charged with allegedly diverting membership and SIEM (Mexican Business Information System) fees to a personal bank account.

Iovana N faces accusations of fraud, breach of trust, and document forgery. According to the complaint, she deceived members and merchants by charging them SIEM fees while making them believe the money was going to the chamber’s account, when in fact it was deposited into a personal account registered in her name.

Payment terminal linked to personal account

The complaint states that starting March 24, 2026, Iovana N — whose presidency is not recognized by the Ministry of Economy — ordered the installation of a payment terminal at the chamber’s cashier area to collect 2026 membership and SIEM fees.

The terminal was linked to an account at Swap bank, for which she is the actual beneficiary, but was registered under the name “Cámara Nacional de Comercio PDC.” The purpose, according to the complaint, was to simulate institutional ownership and induce merchants to believe their payments were going to the chamber’s treasury.

Evidence supporting the accusation

The key piece of evidence is the Electronic Payment Receipt (CEP) from the Bank of Mexico, the official record of the transfer system that identifies the actual recipient of each transaction. While banking apps showed the beneficiary as “Cámara Nacional de Comercio PDC” — a detail the apps themselves warn they do not verify — the CEP reveals the account belongs to an individual.

Additional evidence includes:

• A “SIEM Requirements” sheet placed in the chamber’s cashier area that instructed payments to be made to “Cámara Nacional de Comercio PDC” at the Swap bank CLABE corresponding to the personal account.
• The payment terminal’s transaction report, documenting nearly a month of activity.
• Invoices (CFDI) issued by the chamber with its institutional RFC for several of those payments, even though the money — according to the complaint — did not reach the organization’s coffers, creating a discrepancy between the tax receipt and the actual destination of the funds.

78 charges totaling over 60,000 pesos

According to the terminal report, between March 24 and April 22, 2026, 78 charges were made totaling 60,900 pesos. None of those payments, the complainants say, entered the chamber’s assets. The amounts were not limited to the 100-peso SIEM fee; the report includes membership payments and other concepts reaching up to 10,000 pesos.

Internal warnings

According to the complaint, Canaco employees warned that the terminal was installed without the knowledge or authorization of the recognized administration, and that an employee’s identity was allegedly used without her consent to register it. Staff reportedly said they did not know who owned the account receiving the payments.

Federal prosecutor declines case, refers to state

The complaint was initially filed with the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (FGR). In a letter dated April 28, 2026, the FGR declared itself incompetent, ruling that the alleged crimes are not federal and involve no public servant — Canaco is a private entity of public interest, not a government agency — and referred the case to the Quintana Roo State Prosecutor’s Office (FGE).

The FGR did not exonerate the accused; it simply determined that the investigation falls under state jurisdiction, where it is being handled as common crimes. Separately, the complainants have asked the Ministry of Economy to inspect the chamber and take measures to recover its assets.

The investigation is ongoing at the state prosecutor’s office. Iovana N, like any accused person, is presumed innocent until a verdict is reached.