They argued that money would not be returned because the money had already been spent. She explained a lifestyle full of shoes, fine clothes, expensive dining, and cocktails. Some described her as someone who loves luxury and status, a person who fits that mold.
Her name is Pamela Cabanillas, known in Peru as the “mother Yankee.” She is close to turning 19 and since February 13 has been among the most sought after people in Peru, where a court had ordered temporary prison due to alleged fraud. Prosecutors say she deceived hundreds of people out of between 300,000 and 500,000 euros by selling fake tickets. She did not go to jail. She escaped last October and is believed to be on the run toward Spain, according to OPEN CASE, the news and investigation portal from Prensa Ibérica.
In Peru she is accused of selling counterfeit tickets to Bad Bunny concerts and to World Cup qualifiers for Peru’s national team in Qatar.
Born in Lima, she is accused of leading a criminal organization connected to the QR Tape network, a group involved in selling fake tickets for concerts by international stars that draw large crowds. The moment that clarified the scope of the scheme was the Daddy Yankee concert in Lima last October, a major event that funded the operation. Pamela had prior history of similar frauds, according to investigators.
Pamela Cabanillas previously manipulated tickets to other events, authorities say. A caption on a photo described her as the woman behind the scheme that duped those who bought fake tickets for the Karol G concert in Peru. The image shows the Colombian singer in Chile, with credit to EFE and Adriana Thomasa.
Football matches and Coldplay
Officials say she moved through venues with ease, much like a fish in water. In March she allegedly sold counterfeit tickets for Peru’s World Cup playoff matches. The investigation suggests a pattern linked to Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, and Karol G, with the Daddy Yankee show earning the largest sums for the scheme. When buyers realized they could not attend the events, she fled the country, aware that the truth would surface. Pamela spoke during a Peruvian television program, describing her life as a person who operates from the underground. She told how the fraud happened and why she would not return money, saying there was no money left to repay. For months she posted messages on social networks that commented on the charges and, according to victims, even mocked them.
Pamela defends herself on social networks from her hiding place and posts a photo at a Madrid train station with the caption Enjoying life
Pamela was not the only member of the QR network to flee. Two other members left the country for Colombia but were detained at the airport. Interpol is involved as the latest data shows Pamela was located in Peru again, and a sentence by the Lima High Court left authorities looking for her for arrest and detention.
People in Peru see Pamela Cabanillas as the ringleader of the group known for fraud. The Peruvian National Police described the case as a network that exploited social channels to recruit victims and then disappeared with the funds. Pamela arrived in Spain and, as OPEN CASE learned, she was arrested five times in Madrid between November and January on charges including fraud, robbery, theft, and other crimes against property. Interpol later issued alerts, and the national police worked with Peruvian counterparts to verify the situation, ensuring that she was indeed a fugitive before any arrest.
Her first arrest occurred in mid-November when she entered a Madrid clothing store and the anti-theft detectors sounded as she left with a backpack containing clothes valued at 95 euros. A few days later she was arrested at Islazul Mall for allegedly stealing clothes valued around 50 euros from Primark.
Her record also includes an incident in Carabanchel near the Porto metro station, where she was linked to an assault involving a glass bottle causing facial injuries. A separate incident in the same area involved another violent robbery, where a phone was seized. The victim reported four people of Latino descent, three men and one woman, who fled the scene while she and the others reportedly stayed to allow police arrival. Pamela was connected to that assault, in the investigators’ view.
Scam taxi driver
The latest trace in Spain places Pamela in January for allegedly defrauding a taxi driver who believed she was a paying passenger. Peruvian authorities held a press conference warning that Pamela could be in Spain. She has also faced allegations of ticket cloning and fraud against a variety of victims in the region.
They cloned the QR code
Investigations indicate that Pamela or her network bought a small number of real tickets and cloned them by reprinting the QR codes. This allowed a single legitimate ticket to be reproduced into many listings. She allegedly used social networks to offer tickets at unusually low prices, justifying them by claiming connections to a Peruvian writers and composers association. Victims were contacted, shown identity documents, and taken to an address to collect the tickets. In many cases, there was no entry and no money, and Pamela disappeared with the victims left behind.
Prosecutors say the Lima Cybercrime Unit estimates that Pamela’s scheme could have operated between March and October 2022, generating one to two million soles in fraudulent sales. The father of the fraud network, they say, is tied to the most lucrative show, Daddy Yankee, which earned the group significant sums and gave Pamela the nickname Mother Yankee.
Authorities report that Pamela faces charges of fraud, phishing and forgery, with potential prison terms in Peru and possible extradition considerations related to Spain. A letter she posted on social media acknowledged some charges and claimed she would face consequences, denying collaboration with others and insisting she did not conspire to build a two-million-soles scheme. She also posted video content implying continued freedom and suggested plans to surrender to European justice, though recent posts appeared to be deleted from her feeds. A Peruvian musician’s representative commented that the group would not fall for the same scam again and warned viewers to remain vigilant about similar fraud schemes.