I Became a Victim of Debit Card Cloning in Argentina

Whether you're a fellow expat, potential expat or a tourist, you should know that you're vulnerable to debit and credit card cloning in Argentina (and probably anywhere else in the world). 

Apparently, the number of reported incidents have been on the rise in Argentina. But as usual, I'm always the last to know about these things here. That's probably because my husband and I have chosen to live in virtual seclusion for security and personal reasons.

But on October 28, 2019, I became a victim of debit card cloning. 

I went grocery shopping the day before. I also bought a gift for my husband's 37th birthday. And then I went to McDonald's to pick up some nuggets. I used my debit card three times that day. Still, I had no idea that something insidious was happening without my knowledge.

My husband was in Cordoba City's downtown area looking to buy a few items for the tasty treats he was going to make for his birthday and for Halloween. They're only a day apart. But when he tried using his debit card, it was declined. This happened to him in two stores.

After he contacted me, I checked our account through online banking to see what had happened. The total on my account was $98 Argentine pesos. The amount was even more pathetic than it usually is. Somehow, 13,000 pesos had gone missing from my account. So, I went to check my account history and it showed that four withdrawals had been made from the ATM. Three were for $4,000 Argentine pesos each and the fourth withdrawal was for $1,000 Argentine pesos. 

Unfortunately, I couldn't rush to the bank because Argentine banks close at 1 p.m. And I only realized what had happened after 4 p.m. But I was able to call VISA to cancel my cards.

I went to the bank the next morning to tell them what had happened. It turns out that this wasn't an isolated incident. The bank representative informed me that it's been a growing problem. But the real shocker came when he told me which of the two debit cards I owned was cloned.

I had assumed that someone cloned the debit card in our host province of Cordoba. The suspicious ATM withdrawals coincided with the three purchases I had made that day. I suspected two things had happened:

1. One of the cashiers cloned my debit card. It wouldn't have surprised me given how poor AF this country has gotten under former President Macri's regime. Desperate times tend to bring out the worst in people.

2. The person who provides me with my freelance writing work had done it. She's a local and she did have my bank information to pay me through direct deposit. So it made sense. But in my heart, I didn't believe that she would be capable of such a terrible thing.

So I asked the bank representative if he could tell me which ATM the money was taken from, and he told me it had happened in Buenos Aires. It got even weirder when he told me that it wasn't my debit card that had been cloned, but my husband's card. 

I think they might have cloned his card along with our friend Franco's card when we went to Buenos Aires in May for the Comic-Con. That's the only conclusion I can come up with. Franco had gone through a similar situation a couple of weeks after we came home from vacation. So, why did the MF who cloned our debit card wait five months to screw us over?

It doesn't make sense.

The bank made me sign some papers and then told me to call a number while I was in the bank so I could dispute the charges. If all goes well, I should have my money back in a couple of weeks. But before I left, I asked the representative if there's anything I can do to prevent this from happening again, and he just shrugged his shoulders and said no. 

Typical!

I'm not going to lie. This experience has left me shaken.

It's bad enough that we have to watch our backs when we're out and about. I hate that I have to carry a screwdriver in my pocket to defend myself if I'm attacked. On top of that, we also have to deal with random neighbors who vandalize the front of our home. We even worry that someone will break in like they did in 2016. Trust me! There have been signs they've attempted to do so but failed. That doesn't mean they won't be successful at some point. It's why only one of us can go out at night. The other person has to stay home and house-sit. But one's supposed to feel safe knowing that their money is secure at the bank. I don't anymore and for me, it's just too much. I've seen what the stress has done to us, and I don't like it all.

I can honestly say that when I post things about Argentina, I try to show everyone the best sides of this country. I look for the nicest buildings, the nicest people, and scenery to take photos of. I even share which restaurants we discovered that might help other expats feel better while staying here long-term. But after this experience, all I'm seeing is darkness. All I'm feeling is hate and suspicion for anyone I meet. Are these the kinds of feelings appropriate for an expat blog? I don't care.

But there is something I do still care very much about and that's my husband, who's turning 37. So we're going to celebrate that and Halloween. But once this year is over, we're going to sit down and figure out whether going home to the States is what's best for us. 

And not to go all Sandra Bullock from "The Net" on my fellow expats, but in her character, Angela's words, "They've done it to me, and you know what? They're gonna do it to you."