According to the testimonies, those involved claimed to belong to a Mexican NGO and claimed to act on behalf of Mayor Eduardo Méndez. Under this argument, they offered bags of food to women in vulnerable conditions, mainly single mothers or mothers with several children.
As a requirement, they requested the Personal Identification Document (DPI) and took photographs of the faces of the “beneficiaries.”
Weeks later, those affected discovered that they had a credit of Q2 thousand in their name in the Business Genesis Foundationwhich they never requested.
One of the aspects that generated the most doubts was that none of the victims signed a physical contract to request the credit.
Why was the credit granted without a physical signature?
When consulted by Free pressrepresentatives of the Business Genesis Foundation They explained that the line of credit used with the stolen data is not traditional credit. It is a digital credit focused on supporting women with small businesses, to supply or improve their equipment.
According to the managers, a productive loan is a line of credit designed exclusively to support income-generating activities, not for personal expenses.
They explained that, unlike other loans, this model does not provide cash. Instead, it works as a closed system:
- The person receives a approved line of credit
- You can only use it in affiliated businesses (such as hardware stores, agroservices or workshops)
- The objective is to buy tools, materials or work supplies
“All we give is working capital. We do not give consumer credit,” they indicated.
According to those interviewed, the process is designed so that the user goes to a business, selects what they need for their activity—for example, construction materials or equipment—and the cost is charged directly to their line of credit.
That is to say:
- Can’t withdraw money
- Cannot be used for food or personal items
- It is only used to produce or work
In addition, they detailed that the initial amount is usually low—around Q2 thousand—and can increase if the person demonstrates good use of the credit.
In summary, according to the entity, the productive credit It is a financial tool aimed at promoting small jobs or ventures, under a controlled system that limits its use to specific economic activities.
Why were only women affected?
The directors of the Business Genesis Foundation They also noted that this line of credit has a strong social focus and, in practice, is aimed mainly at women.
“Seven out of ten of our clients are women,” they stated, explaining that there is priority attention to this group due to their economic conditions and their role in homes.
This data coincides with the testimonies of the affected women, who indicated that during the delivery of food, men and people who already received some type of social assistance were excluded, while priority was given to low-income women and single mothers.
This suggests that those involved knew the social conditions of the communities and acted in a targeted manner, selecting and profiling their victims.
What is the process to grant this type of credit?
Based on what was explained by the entity, the process to generate the loan works as follows:
- The person requests the digital credit line and you must upload a copy of your DPI to the system
- The system verifies the information with the Renap
- The person takes a photo (selfie)
- A third is made biometric validation (this is one of the points under investigation)
- The entity analyzes the applicant’s profile and, if the requirements are met, the application is approved. productive credit of Q2 thousand
The money is not delivered directly to the user. The line can only be used to purchase products from affiliated stores; It is not designed for cash withdrawal or general consumption.
The process continues like this:
- The person goes to a affiliate commerce (hardware store, agricultural service, workshop or other authorized)
- In the store the purchase is made
- Consumption is charged to the line of credit
For example, if a person has Q2 thousand approved and purchases Q500 in tools, that amount is deducted from their available balance.
Verification failures and possible manipulation
The elements that are under investigation are two:
- The biometric validation, of the financial company, specifically how those responsible managed to complete this process
- The controls in the points of salewhich in some cases would not have been rigorously applied
This would have allowed transactions to be completed without identity verification.
Ongoing investigation
He Public Ministry The investigation remains open to determine responsibilities in this case of scam in Petén.
Meanwhile, the financial institution assures that it will collaborate with the authorities and has suspended charges to people who could have been victims.
The case, which began in the village of Caoba, Petén, is also being verified in other areas of the country, including Puerto Barrios.