The University of Buenos Aires (UBA) has been the victim of a major fraud that resulted in losses of approximately 1.591 billion pesos. The fraud focused on the faculties of Law and Dentistry, where transfers were made from Banco Nación accounts to fictitious recipients, both individuals and legal entities.
After the fraud was discovered, UBA and Banco Nación initiated internal investigations that led to the arrest of 17 individuals, as part of a case supervised by Judge Sebastián Ramos. The fraudulent operations occurred in September of last year, when the scammers posed as UBA Treasury staff and ordered various MEP bank transfers.
A student advisor from the Faculty of Social Sciences at UBA expressed their outrage at the incident and stated that, although the Higher Council has not officially addressed the issue, there is concern about the impact it may have on the university's reputation. Renzo Villón highlighted that the fraud affects the institution at a delicate budgetary moment and emphasized that all indications are that the perpetrators are external actors who used the name of UBA to divert funds from Banco Nación, a state entity.
In the words of the student advisor: "More than to UBA, the fraud was against Banco Nación, but as it was treated in the media, it can also affect the public image of the university." This statement reflects the existing concern about the consequences that the fraud may bring for the reputation of one of the most prestigious educational institutions in Argentina.
