Tech

Beware the ‘Bono Mujer’ Online Scam Circulating on Social Media: What It Is and How to Avoid It

Tech
By Newstime community team,  published 12 March 2025 at 19h40, updated on 12 March 2025 at 19h40.
Alerta por la estafa virtual del “Bono Mujer” que circula en redes sociales: de qué se trata y cómo evitarla

Warning about the online scam involving the "Bono Mujer" circulating on social media: understanding what it is and how to avoid falling victim to it.

Tl;dr

  • Fraudulent “Bono Mujer” scheme circulates on social media.

  • Phishing scam aims to steal personal and banking information.

  • Always verify information through official government channels.

The “Bono Mujer” Fraud

A deceptive message has been making rounds on Facebook and WhatsApp recently, advertising a supposed “Bono Mujer” granted by the Government. The claim states that this bonus, amounting to $230,000, will be provided to women in March 2025. However, an investigation by Chequeado confirmed that this information is entirely false.

How the Scam Operates

This misleading message, predominantly distributed on platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, features an image of President Javier Milei and logos of two non-existent ministries. It asserts that the bonus is aimed at female heads of households, single mothers, and young women between the ages of 18 and 65. The message also includes a link to register for this apparent payment.

Contrarily, this link doesn’t lead to any official government website but to a fraudulent page designed to steal users’ personal and banking information – a common type of scam known as phishing.

Why is this Information False?

There are several clear indications that expose the falsehood of this message:

  • The URL is not official: The provided link doesn’t belong to a reliable Argentine site and lacks the “gob.ar” extension used by official government websites.

  • The language is uncharacteristic: The expressions used in the message do not coincide with the country’s idioms, indicating that it doesn’t originate from an official source.

  • Non-existing ministries: The message mentions entities like the Ministry of Women, Genders and Diversity and the Ministry of Social Security, both of which disappeared or were merged as a part of government reforms.

These scams aim to steal sensitive information. Criminals create fake links and websites to impersonate official institutions and obtain unsuspecting individuals’ personal or banking details.

“Phishing” is one of the most common techniques for online information theft. Fraudulent links may appear legitimate, but upon clicking, users unknowingly hand over significant data.

Tips to Avoid Online Scams

To avoid falling prey to such deceitful practices, follow these recommendations:

  • Verify authenticity: Always verify information through official Government channels like websites with the “.gob.ar” extension or verified social media profiles.

  • Don’t share personal data: Never provide your personal or banking information on untrustworthy sites or messages that you receive suspiciously.

  • Inspect the link carefully: Ensure the link is official before clicking on it. Fake sites often have a different design and errors in the web address.