Couple arrested in Torrevieja for 30 counts of fraud

As part of Operation Jupiter-44, the Guardia Civil detained a 44-year-old male and a 31-year-old woman in Torrevieja. They are suspected of committing 30 fraud offences in total. The court has ordered that the man be detained in detention for his actions.

The operation began in July after receiving a report that appeared to be an isolated scam. A victim had put his bank account information on a fake website impersonating a well-known telephone business. The culprits used this information to construct virtual bank cards, which they used to make purchases at local companies.

The initial investigations found that the instances were not isolated. That same day, the culprits made multiple purchases with both the complainant’s card and other virtual cards created with data from various victims. This initiated a fresh line of research aimed at identifying further victims.

The officers identified the criminals as a Torrevieja pair hiding behind caps and sunglasses to avoid detection and driving a vehicle with foreign license plates that did not belong to them.

Investigators examined the method of operation and discovered that the thieves constructed a bogus website that resembled that of a major telecoms business, which they used to get the victims’ financial information when they attempted to top up their cards. With this information, they created virtual cards using digital wallet sites and registered them on their own mobile phones. They then utilised these cards to make transactions at various Vega Baja establishments, notably purchasing prepaid cards, bitcoin vouchers, and food and apparel items.

Record

After weeks of monitoring and tracing, investigators were able to find the suspects and establish their involvement in the crime. On August 13th, they were detained, and their residence was searched, revealing a veritable headquarters for the fraudulent business.

The Guardia Civil seized 65 cutting-edge mobile phones, 87 SIM cards, seven high-end PCs, nine bitcoin wallets, and different anonymous prepaid bank cards totalling 12,000 euros.

Officers have identified 30 victims from several Spanish regions, including Albacete, Alicante, Badajoz, Castellón, Ciudad Real, Córdoba, Cuenca, Huelva, Huesca, Jaén, Madrid, Murcia, Seville, Tarragona, Toledo, Valencia, Vitoria, Zamora, and Zaragoza. Furthermore, the usage of 13 payment cards issued in Cyprus, France, Greece, Lithuania, and Poland has been confirmed, therefore the possibility of other overseas victims cannot be dismissed. The entire financial loss is around €20,000.

The Torrevieja Court of Instruction ordered that the man be remanded in detention. She was released on bail.

The inquiry is ongoing, and the appearance of more victims is not ruled out as all confiscated material is reviewed.

The Guardia Civil encourages everyone to take extreme care against crimes conducted using information and communication technologies (ICT).

Author: Derek Appleton