Costa Blanca

Elderly man held captive by couple who scammed him out of 85,000€

National Police officers have freed an elderly man in Alicante. The elderly individual was allegedly held by a couple who were accused of defrauding over 85,000 euros.

Furthermore, it is purported that the individuals who were apprehended forced him into altering his will and conducted bank transfers to third parties in Colombia, concealing the intended recipient of the funds. The victim was able to flee while her captures were asleep. According to the police headquarters, he requested assistance from a neighbour, who then informed the police officers.

In May 2024, the victim encountered a woman at the hospital who suggested that she care for him after learning that he had no family or close acquaintances. This was the beginning of the story. A few days later, she and her husband moved in with her under the pretence of helping him and preventing others from entering the house.

They were attentive and kind for weeks, taking him for walks and establishing his trust. However, they soon enquired about their bank accounts, confidential passwords, potential heirs, and their heritage.

The agreement underwent modifications as the months progressed. The couple persuaded the victim to travel to Colombia, promising to purchase a property in his name. They processed a variety of documents in Colombia, but they never bought him about any property.

During the journey, he endured degrading treatment and humiliation, which worsened his condition and increased his distress. In Spain, his isolation was further exacerbated by the alleged confiscation of the keys to his own home in order to prevent him from leaving, as well as the stopping of his bank visits and the monitoring of his movements.

Taking advantage of the couple’s slumber, the elderly man was able to escape and request assistance from a neighbour, whom he promptly contacted at 091. A patrol that arrived at the scene discovered the victim in a state of anxiety and nervousness. The agents subsequently located and apprehended the alleged perpetrators in the vicinity of the residence after gathering their testimony and verifying the situation.

The Provincial Brigade of the Alicante Judicial Police conducted a subsequent investigation, which disclosed the full extent of the deception. The couple allegedly altered the elderly man’s will in their favour and transferred a total of 85,233.42 euros to bank accounts in Colombia. They made these transfers in the names of third parties to hinder their tracking.

Additionally, the woman registered two motorcycles in her name after acquiring them with a portion of the funds. It is believed that the accused’s son regularly used these vehicles, despite none of the detainees having the authority to operate them. The victim possessed only 270 euros in his bank accounts at the time of the police intervention.

The couple, a 43-year-old male and 53-year-old woman, were apprehended for the offences of fraud and illegal detention. The Alicante investigating court subsequently placed them in custody.

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Related Topics:Alicante Court Documents Hospital Illegal National Police Spain

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Costa Blanca

Two police officers injured by a distracted driver in Santa Pola

According to the official channels of the force, a severe road accident on Avenida del Mediterráneo in Gran Alacant, Santa Pola, has resulted in the injuries of numerous individuals, including two local police officers.

The accident occurred as a result of a distracted driver at the wheel, resulting in the car colliding with the police vehicle.

The images released show the significant impact suffered by the officers’ vehicle, as well as the frontal damage to the other vehicle involved.

No details have been released regarding the severity of the injuries of those involved, although a message of hope for a speedy recovery has been conveyed to the injured.

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Costa Blanca

Firefighters rescue driver trapped in car on Torrevieja seafront

Firefighters from the Torrevieja fire station rescued a woman after her vehicle plunged off the seafront promenade at 06:07 this morning; emergency personnel responded with the assistance of the local authorities.

The driver, a 79 year old woman of foreign nationality, was driving the vehicle along the promenade when it was involved in an accident. The vehicle plunged down the embankment, a drop of over half a metre and leads to the rocks in the heart of Torrevieja.

The victim was unable to exit the vehicle independently due to the door being obstructed by the rugged terrain, necessitating the arrival of firefighters to the scene. Medical services treated her for minor injuries following the rescue. Cars are only authorised on the promenade for residents.

The local authorities are currently conducting an investigation into the causes.

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Costa Blanca

Alicante couple arrested for trying to defraud lottery winner out of 40,000€ with a fake 6€ ticket

In Alicante, National Police officers have arrested a 37-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman, who are purportedly involved in fraudulent activities. After successfully deceiving the proprietor into believing that the prize was only €6, the suspects attempted to cash in a lottery ticket valued at €40,000.

A citizen lodged a complaint alleging fraud, which prompted the investigation. She complained that she had acquired a lottery ticket and, the day following the drawing, visited a lottery kiosk to determine whether the ticket was eligible for a prize.

The seller informed her that the system was not functioning properly and that she could verify it using her mobile phone after verifying the ticket with the authorised ticket dispenser (POS). The vendor informed her that the ticket had a prize of six euros when she viewed it on the terminal.

For her part, the victim trusted the provided information and accepted the money without suspecting deception. At the same time, the seller retained the lottery ticket.

A few days later, the complainant discovered that the was infact worth 40,000 euros and that she had been deceived. She returned to the stand where she had checked the ticket to claim her prize, and the seller informed her that she was unaware of this and that she had thrown it in the bin.

Then, she proceeded to the authorised offices of the aforementioned lottery drawings to report the incident. Upon his arrival, she was instructed to submit a complaint regarding the events.

The agents verified that the coupon was indeed a prize after collecting all the information. The saleswoman confirmed on three separate occasions that she had retained the coupon after deceiving the complainant about the prize amount.

The investigation phase also disclosed that the lottery ticket had been attempted to be redeemed by the seller’s ex-partner. However, this was not accomplished due to the fact that the authorised collection offices were aware of the incident and the agents had requested that the payment of the prize be blocked.

The officers were able to corroborate that the seller and the individual who attempted to cash in the winning ticket were both involved in a fraudulent activity as a result of the investigations.

The investigators’ findings confirmed that the two suspects had reached an agreement to collect the winning ticket. They also discovered that the woman, a lottery seller, had deceived them by faking the malfunction of the POS machine and falsely informing the complainant that the prize was six euros.

Following the investigation and the collection of sufficient evidence to establish their involvement in the events, they were apprehended and charged with fraud.

The courts in Alicante were informed of the situation subsequent to the police investigation.