A family of entrepreneurs in Puerto Gaitán, Meta, took drastic action this week, chaining themselves to a Bancolombia branch in Villavicencio to protest the unauthorized transfer of 600 million pesos (approximately $147,000 USD) from their business account.
The protest, which gained traction on social media, prompted a response from Bancolombia on February 19, 2026, as the family demanded answers and the return of their funds.
¿Un movimiento millonario sin rastro de seguridad?
According to reports, the funds were swiftly moved from the company’s account on February 17, 2026, and diverted to a Nequi account. The incident has raised concerns about the security protocols at Bancolombia.
The loss represents a significant blow to the family’s business, as the 600 million pesos constituted their working capital. Karina, a spokesperson for the family, described the events leading to the protest at the Villavicencio branch. “Yesterday, 600 million pesos were taken from my Bancolombia Empresarial account and transferred to a Nequi account,” she stated.
She further emphasized the bank’s lack of responsiveness, explaining, “The bank isn’t responding to me, and that’s why I’m here protesting, hoping they’ll listen, return our money, and guarantee the security of our funds within their institution.”
La incógnita sobre la presunta vulnerabilidad del sistema
The family’s concerns center on potential vulnerabilities in Bancolombia’s authentication filters, including the bypassing of token codes and account verification procedures. Other individuals have reportedly experienced similar issues with the bank, with little resolution.
“We’ve heard from others who have suffered the same fate and received no response from Bancolombia,” Karina said in a social media video. “We don’t want to be another statistic. We want a response, and we want to ensure that others are protected from this happening to them.”
The family’s daughter and a fellow entrepreneur stated, “Whether it’s one peso or 600 million pesos that was stolen from us, Bancolombia must respond because it must guarantee its users that their money is safe within the institution.”
Tres transferencias y un derecho de petición
Giovanni Cerón, the entrepreneur from Puerto Gaitán and father of two of the protesters, provided technical details of the transaction to regional news outlet Noticias de Acacías y el Llano. He explained that the transfer occurred rapidly at 12:45 PM on February 17, 2026.
“Yesterday at 12:45 PM, three transfers were made to a Nequi account totaling 600 million pesos. They were made without our authorization, without tokens, without requesting authorization, without entering the account details. They bypassed the security protocols and took 600 million pesos from our bank account,” Cerón stated.
According to Cerón, the bank’s initial response was unsatisfactory, instructing the family to file a formal request and wait for a response.
“Bancolombia has to respond for those 600 million pesos that we did not authorize to be taken from the bank. They just tell you to submit a letter and wait ten or fifteen business days for a response. We are not willing to wait because this is the result of our hard work,” Cerón concluded.
“It’s unacceptable that a lifetime of effort can be lost in a matter of minutes in this way.”
Bancolombia respondió ante la situación
Bancolombia released a statement on February 19, 2026, addressing the situation, stating its “commitment to accompany each case from beginning to end, with the client at the center and with the greatest rigor possible.”
The bank confirmed that the case in Villavicencio “was managed through a thorough investigation and that we have maintained permanent communication with the client since the moment they reported the incident.”
