What we are learning on our Argentina tour has reversed how we buy. If you charge on a credit card, the rate of exchange is. 5 pesos to 1 dollar. If you pay in cash the rate is 8. This is a huge difference so bringing some cash is a must.
Secondly, tourists do not go to a bank, they change money in stores. All seems totally legal and above board.
Argentines do the reverse, they buy dollar goods on line using cards as they get pay the least for US goods that way getting each dollar for. 5 pesos rather than 8.
The economy gets hurt in both direction s. The photos are of alpaca and Andean goods.