Uruguayan dLocal includes: Customs investigates alleged “fraud” of dollar transfers abroad through an educational services website

The Directorate General of Customs (DGA) has once again put the Uruguayan unicorn company under the microscope. The company that acts as a payment agent for Financial technology Headquartered abroad – such as Netflix, Spotify, Prime Video and others – are accused of being the conduit through which… Accessing official dollars “through fraud” and transferring them to the United States. As detailed by Argentine authorities, the operations discovered will amount to $395 million and will involve Academiland.

In May, the government announced it was investigating the Uruguayan company “Taking advantage of Argentina’s exchange gap” And transferring foreign currencies abroad. This led a group of specialized customs agents to analyze money shipments made by dLocal Argentina SA during 2022.

On Friday, the results of the investigation led to the filing of a lawsuit against Academiland LLC. An American company based in Delaware, which will be dedicated to serving education through the system e-learning. but, They indicated from the entity managed by Guillermo Michel that the site is not currently working.

“Customs officers discovered payments from people who claim to have never hired the services of an alleged educational institution.”. They even discovered operations in the name of individuals who died before the date of receiving the benefits.”They explained. the Financial technology dLocal would have been the means through which the money transfers were made.

Customs explained that They analyzed 9,304 collections carried out by the supposed educational institution, worth $395 million. The specialized agents took a sample of 800 users, analyzed the data of the individuals who paid for the services, and contacted them through a circular to verify the information provided.

“All responded that they had never received any goods or services from Academiland LLC and/or the Be U Institute,” they stated. Once, It was confirmed that 20 of the alleged users died before contracting for the serviceThey were referred by customs. Customs officials, a member of the Federal Ministry of Justice and people working in the media also appeared as students.

“The ultimate goal of the supposed educational institution would be to obtain dollars at the official value and send them to the United States.They explained that it simulated access to services that were never provided and that were supported through the use of a database with idiosyncrasies that indicated a lack of legitimacy.

As a result of this information, the organization appeared before the Office of the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor No. 1, headed by Dr. Ramiro González, in the framework of a case brought before the National Criminal and Correctional Court No. 5, by Dr. Maria Eugenia Capocchetti. “Fraudulent maneuvers against the public administration are being investigated by dLocal“, they added.

In parallel, Customs convicted the alleged owners of Academiland LLC, accused of “unlawful access to the personal data bank”, “defrauding the public administration” and “Money laundering”. A few days ago, the declared addresses of the company’s supposed owners were raided, and documents and computers were confiscated.

Nation