The National Police have detained two people in Benidorm for scamming a woman by impersonating her bank and withdrawing €14,000 from her account after gaining her credentials.
The police inquiry began with a complaint made by a woman who informed investigators that she had received a call from someone posing as her bank manager. The caller led her to believe that fraudulent payments had been made to her bank account, and that she needed to supply the password to remedy the issue. Frightened and thinking the conversation was genuine, the woman gave out her password, and the caller made two transfers from her account totalling €14,000.
Officers from the Benidorm Judicial Police Brigade launched an inquiry and identified the scammed individual. The beneficiary received two bank transfers for the money withdrawn from the victim’s account: €9,000 and €5,000.
The officers also conducted different checks, which led to the identification of the primary perpetrator of the scam. Finally, the inmates, aged 43 and 55, have been hauled before Benidorm’s Court of First Instance.
Spoofing Method
The scam, known as “spoofing,” involves mimicking a bank and deceiving victims into believing bogus charges have been made to their accounts to get access passwords. The crooks then withdraw money or transfer it to accounts under their control.
The perpetrators of these crimes communicate with their victims via phone calls, text messages, or emails. The fraud is carried out when victims supply the necessary information, which is usually their bank account IDs or passwords.
The “mule”: the recipient of the swindled funds
In police language, persons who act as beneficiaries of money from these frauds and other illegal crimes are referred to as “mules.” These criminal groups and organisations rely on these individuals to pass over their bank accounts in exchange for financial recompense, effectively engaging them in the crime.
No Comment! Be the first one.