Puerto Rico’s Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO) urged the public on Monday, November 9, 2026, to watch for possible fraud through messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram. According to a DACO statement, interim secretary Erwin Álvarez Rodríguez activated the technical staff of the agency’s Consumer Fraud Scheme Detection Unit. Álvarez Rodríguez called on the public to carefully evaluate messages received through apps like WhatsApp and Telegram.
As a preventive measure, DACO recommends verifying where a message comes from before replying, opening links, or sharing personal or financial information. DACO also repeated its call to consumers who have been victims of this or a similar scheme to contact the agency through its official Facebook page, DACO a tu favor, or to visit the portal daco.pr.gov for information on the guidance and assistance channels available.