Colombian authorities have dismantled a transnational fraud network responsible for the alleged misappropriation of approximately $19 million USD from investors in Colombia, Chile, and Peru [[1]]. Fourteen individuals were arrested Tuesday in connection with the scheme, which lured victims with promises of high returns through fake cryptocurrency and stock investment platforms. The inquiry highlights a growing threat of sophisticated online financial crimes exploiting vulnerable investors across Latin America, as regulators continue to grapple with oversight of the rapidly evolving digital asset space [[2]]. Investigators say the perpetrators gained remote access to victims’ devices, further compromising their personal data and finances.
Colombian authorities have arrested 14 individuals suspected of running an illegal scheme that defrauded investors across Colombia, Chile, and Peru through fake cryptocurrency and stock investment platforms, prosecutors announced Tuesday, November 19, 2025.
The group allegedly attracted victims with appealing social media advertisements, then contacted them by phone to solicit investments ranging from $200 to $250, promising quick returns, according to a statement released by the Fiscalía. The scheme highlights the growing risks associated with unregulated investment opportunities promoted online.
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Investigators found that funds transferred by victims were never actually invested. Instead, the perpetrators maintained contact with investors, displaying fabricated charts of dividend earnings, urging them to increase their contributions, and warning against withdrawals, the Fiscalía stated.
La labor investigativa orientada por la Fiscalía permitió desarticular a un grupo delictivo señalado de promover un modelo de estafa, a través de plataformas falsas que ofrecían un negocio de inversión en acciones y activos digitales, pero que terminaba por quedarse con los… pic.twitter.com/JRsgk5Ql1O
— Fiscalía Colombia (@FiscaliaCol) November 18, 2025
Between 2021 and 2025, the criminal organization allegedly misappropriated 71 billion Colombian pesos (approximately $19 million USD) from victims in the three countries. The scale of the fraud underscores the increasing sophistication of online investment scams targeting Latin American investors.
Authorities allege that the group instructed clients to install remote access tools, such as Anydesk and Imperios, on their devices under the guise of “verifying investment progress.” This allowed them to gain control of victims’ mobile phones and computers, ultimately stealing personal credentials and banking information.
The Fiscalía has charged the detainees with fraud using IT systems, theft via IT systems, data privacy violations, criminal conspiracy, money laundering, and illicit enrichment. All 14 individuals have denied the charges.
Among those arrested is Alejandro Maximiliano Ronquillo Treviño, a Mexican national known as “Daniel,” who is believed to be the leader of the criminal network. Three of the detainees have been placed under preventative house arrest.
EFE.
