Q COSTA RICA — Two women were arrested on Tuesday, suspected of defrauding individuals interested in learning to drive and obtaining a license by selling driving courses promoted on social media.
Agents from the Specialized Section against Scams and Registry Fraud of the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) carried out raids as part of the investigation: two in the province of Heredia and one in Paso Ancho, San José. The arrested women are surnamed Sánchez (43) and Romero (40).
According to the investigation, the suspects posted advertisements for a driving school and offered special deals to those who paid for the service in advance. Package prices ranged from ¢185,000 to ¢220,000.
The problem began after payment was made.
Authorities preliminarily determined that, once the money was received, the women allegedly used various excuses to postpone classes or avoid delivering the contracted service.
Explanations allegedly given to clients included claims that instructors were ill or that the training vehicles had been involved in accidents, requiring lessons to be rescheduled.
Over time, some victims stopped receiving responses. According to the OIJ, in certain instances, the suspects allegedly stopped answering messages and even blocked clients, preventing them from continuing to press claims regarding the driving lessons they had paid for.
The judicial investigation began in May 2026 and has so far linked 47 criminal cases to the same modus operandi. The documented financial loss in these files exceeds ¢9 million colones.
However, the number of people potentially connected to the case is considerably higher.
According to information known to the authorities, there are another 154 complaints filed with the Consumer Protection Agency linked to the same driving school.