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Man arrested by National Police for scamming over 200,000 euros

A 24-year-old guy in Seville has been taken into custody by National Police officers on suspicion of committing over 70 frauds. He worked in a number of places throughout Spain, including Bilbao, Cádiz, Seville, Granada, and Málaga. He called victims, pretended to be a security department employee at different banks, and used a variety of techniques to trick them into giving him a lot of money. Nine cell phones and a PC were found during the search.

Following a report from a victim who had been robbed of €37,700 through vishing and smishing, the inquiry got underway in late 2023.

What are vishing and smishing?

Smishing is a tactic when a hacker sends a victim an SMS posing as a trustworthy organization—in this case, a bank—with the intention of obtaining personal data or collecting money. Under false pretences, the message usually asks consumers to call a premium-rate number or click on a link to a phoney website—the latter being the technique employed by the scammer. The criminal was able to access and examine the victim’s bank account in detail while they typed their passwords. This strengthened their deceit by ensuring the user’s faith and enabling them to, for instance, list the previous three charges made by each of them in their own accounts.

Another kind of social engineering fraud is called “vishing,” which is a phone call that poses as a business to get the victim’s private information. The suspect in this scam likewise uses this pretext.

The suspect had information about each victim before reaching out to them, which he utilised to support his claimed position as a bank security guard, even going so far as to use spoofing.

Spoofing: What is it?

Spoofing, which means to lie or deceive, is a widely popular identity theft tactic, particularly when done by email. In this instance, the criminal took advantage of an application that made it possible to change the user’s phone number. By altering it to the name of a bank department, the caller increased the legitimacy of his hoax.

He specifically pretended to prevent a transfer from the fictitious security department of the victims’ individual banks in order to reap the financial gain, after which he indicated that some fictitious instructions were being monitored that would end the operation. The transfer was executed as a result of these instructions, and the author also carried out the process with other transfer applications.

Internet credit, consumer credit, fast money, and more.

The stolen funds were all received in different bank accounts that were also formed by using prepaid mobile phone lines to trick their holders into accepting fictitious work offers.

After viewing the advertisement and providing their phone number, the new victims were led through an instant messaging app to register several bank accounts without getting paid.

Following a rigorous investigation by the Judicial Group of the District Police Station of Abastos and the Cybercrime Group of the Provincial Brigade of the Judicial Police of Valencia, the officers were able to locate the suspect. Despite his numerous movements throughout Spanish territory, the officers were able to arrest him at the end of November of last year and confiscate a computer and nine cell phones, which he used to commit the crimes.

A man with no previous police record who committed fraud, identity theft, and money laundering has been brought before a judge.

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Related Topics:Arrest Money National Police Social Spain Theft Valencia

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Six arrested at paella event in Alicante

According to a statement from the police headquarters, the National Police conducted a search in the city of Alicante during the university paella event at the Rabasa fairgrounds. The raid resulted in the identification of 97 individuals and the arrest of six.

On Wednesday, April 16th, approximately 19,000 individuals attended the event, which is held during the Easter break.

In addition to the individuals who were identified, officers confiscated 18 vehicles, issued seven penalties for possession of narcotic substances, and apprehended six individuals for a variety of offences, such as robbery with intimidation, vehicle theft, burglary, legal action, and theft.

The operation was coordinated by the Alicante Provincial Police Station and involved officers from the Prevention and Reaction Units, Operational Response Group Units, the Mobile Brigade, the Citizen Service Group, dog handlers, and support officers from the various Brigades and the Northern District Police Station. The operation proceeded without incident as usual. Additionally, officers from the Alicante Local Police took part.

Officers from the Aerial Media Unit used police drones to monitor the event from the air.

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Benidorm will celebrate the 40th ‘Bike Day for All’ on May 4th

The 40th edition of “Bicycle Day for All” will happen on Sunday, May 4th, in collaboration with local clubs Unión Ciclista Benidorm, Club Ciclista Benidorm Beach, and Club Ciclista Sol Benidorm, as well as other sponsors, according to the Benidorm City Council’s Sports Department.

As in previous years, the Foietes Park auditorium will host the rally at 9:30 a.m. Several hundred devotees of these two-wheeled vehicles, whose numbers are increasing annually, will convene. The route will remain consistent with that of previous years, and the event will commence at 10:00 a.m. It will commence in the park and proceed along Jaime I, Armada Española, Vicente Llorca Alós, Paseo de Tamarindos, and Paseo de Tamarindos, where a junction will be established, before returning to the park. The route will be level and approximately 7.2 kilometres long, making it suitable for all types. Nevertheless, the City Council would like to remind all participants that helmets are mandatory for participation in the activity.

The event is timed to coincide with Mother’s Day, making it an ideal opportunity to engage in this activity with the entire family. Javier Jordá, Councillor for Sports, stated that the event is designed to “encourage them to exercise, share great moments with them, and promote the use of bicycles as a healthy and enjoyable form of leisure activity.” Following the event, attendees will participate in a traditional bicycle raffle.

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Torrevieja aims to have 200 local police officers by 2027

The Torrevieja City Council, a municipality with a registered population of 108,000, has recently added six new local police officers to its personnel. During the summer months, the population of the municipality doubles. Nevertheless, the governing team, which is led by the Popular Party (PP) candidate Eduardo Dolón, aims to have 200 active officers by the end of the current term in 2027. This number is crucial to provide the services that the residents of Torrevieja and the thousands of tourists who visit us annually deserve.

The Mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo Dolón, confirmed these facts to the Councillors for Personnel and Internal Affairs, María José Ruiz, and the Head of Security and Emergencies, Federico Alarcón, during the swearing-in of the six officers and two other municipal workers. He welcomed and encouraged them to work with outstanding dedication to continue improving the quality of municipal services in Torrevieja after they had sworn in or promised their positions.

In particular, a Chief Heritage Architect and a replacement Green Team worker, as well as six local police officers (four constables and two officers), have been appointed. Eduardo Dolón emphasised the financial investments that Torrevieja City Council has made in recent years to increase the number of police officers. With over 108,000 registered residents, this initiative aims to meet the city’s increasing security needs.