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Argentina Police Detain Suspects in Senior-Targeting ‘Cuento del Tío’ Scams as Violent Robberies Raise Alarm

Investigators say recent detentions mark progress against roaming crews that prey on retirees with fake currency‑exchange ruses.

Overview

  • A 25-year-old man was arrested in San Francisco, Córdoba, accused of joining a network that duped retirees by claiming their pesos and dollars would lose value and collecting cash at their homes.
  • Police say the suspect moved between towns and stayed in hotels under false identities, with links reported to cases in Brinkmann and Las Varillas; he remains at the disposal of the local prosecutor’s office.
  • A separate Buenos Aires province probe detained a 47-year-old tied to an October 8 theft of $50,000 from a 97-year-old woman, bringing arrests in that case to three under DDI Junín and UFI No. 12 directives.
  • Reports of violent home invasions intensified, including a Mar del Plata episode where a retired couple was held for an hour under threats to cut their fingers and a La Plata break‑in that left an 87‑year‑old injured.
  • Urban street crime continued with swift responses: in Palermo a tourist helped subdue a motochorro before cameras led to a second suspect’s identification, and in Tucumán a patrol captured one assailant after an attempted phone snatch.