Catenaa, Friday, February 14, 2025 – Authorities in Argentina have arrested five individuals accused of scanning people’s irises in exchange for cryptocurrency and cash, Police said recently.
The suspects, four men and a woman from Córdoba province, were detained in a parking lot near the Feria del Litoral shopping center in Santa Fe.
Officers confiscated 29 cell phones, a Volkswagen vehicle and more than $600,000 in cash during the raid, authorities said.
Investigators believe the group may have been harvesting biometric data for fraudulent activities rather than operating as part of the Worldcoin (WLD) platform, a controversial cryptocurrency project that collects iris scans for digital identity verification.
Officials also suspect the group took advantage of heightened media attention surrounding Worldcoin in Argentina.
The investigation is ongoing as prosecutors work to determine the extent of the suspects’ activities and whether any victims had unknowingly provided their biometric data.
Authorities were alerted after security personnel at the shopping center reported suspicious activity. The case follows a similar probe in the Patagonian city of Zapala, where a newsstand operator was allegedly involved in iris-scanning activities in exchange for digital assets.
