Victims in 19 provinces, including Murcia, Alicante and Andalucía, lost a total of about €20,000

Guardia Civil officers have arrested a 44-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman in Torrevieja, on suspicion of 30 frauds using fake websites and online payments.

The first report was received in July but initially appeared to be an isolated scam.

A victim had entered their banking details on a fraudulent website that cloned the site of a well-known, multi-national telecommunications company.

Using this victim's information, virtual bank cards were created and used to make purchases in stores in Torrevieja.

Initial investigations revealed that on the same day, the suspects also made numerous purchases with other virtual cards created with data from additional victims.

Officers identified the alleged criminals as a couple living in Torrevieja who tried to avoid identification by wearing caps and sunglasses, and travelled in a foreign-registered vehicle that was not registered in their name.

Investigators concluded that the suspects had created a fake website that mimicked the one of a multinational telecommunications company. Through it, they allegedly obtained the banking information of victims who attempted to top up their prepaid cards.

With this information, they supposedly generated virtual cards through digital wallet platforms and registered them on their mobile phones. These cards were then used to make purchases in various stores in the Vega Baja del Segura area, apparently buying prepaid cards, cryptocurrency vouchers, as well as food and clothing.

Suspects' home was a "fraud operations centre"

After weeks of surveillance and monitoring, investigators managed to locate the suspects and arrested them on August 13 at their home, where officers discovered what they described as a "fraud operations centre".

The authorities seized 65 latest-generation mobile devices, 87 SIM cards, several high-end laptops, nine cryptocurrency wallets, and various anonymous prepaid bank cards worth €12,000.

Police have so far identified 30 victims across 19 Spanish provinces: Murcia, Alicante, Albacete, Badajoz, Castellón, Ciudad Real, Córdoba, Cuenca, Huelva, Huesca, Jaén, Madrid, Sevilla, Tarragona, Toledo, Valencia, Vitoria, Zamora, and Zaragoza.

They have also confirmed the use of 13 payment cards issued in Cyprus, France, Greece, Lithuania, and Poland, suggesting there may be more victims abroad.

The total financial loss amounts to approximately €20,000.

The court in Torrevieja investigating the case ordered the man to be jailed on remand, and released the woman on charges. The investigation remains open, and more victims may be identified as analysis of the seized material continues.

Image: Archive

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