Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
AN ALMERIA woman looking for love was conned out of €216,839 by a gang who set up a fake online relationship via social media.
Policia Nacional arrested four people and are searching for four more suspects in the province of Alicante.
The scam began in 2022 after the victim became friends with a man through Facebook.
READ MORE
He told her that he worked on an Italian oil platform and needed money to get back to France.
The constant exchanges of messages on social media created a bond and he demanded money for various reasons.
Three years passed without the victim meeting her alleged friend.
After realising she was duped, she decided to go to the police 2025.
Investigations by the Policia Nacional revealed a complex network of financial transactions with 18 accounts in banks used to launder proceeds.
Several of the bank account were located overseas, making it more difficult to find them.
The money was then transferred back and forth between various accounts, with some being withdrawn as cash at ATMs.
Seven fake identities have been discovered that were used to open accounts using fake documents from Spain or other European Union countries.
All four detainees are accused of fraud, money-laundering, document forgery and belonging to criminal organisations.
Some of them acted as ‘money mules’ to receive the transfers from the victim, which were then laundered.
The Policia Nacional has said that opening a bank to accept money illegally obtained is money laundering, which carries a jail sentence and heavy fines.
Also, they have warned that if a relationship exclusively online leads to requests for funds for travel, medical emergencies or work-related issues, it’s highly likely a fraud and should be reported immediately.
Click here to read more Crime & Law News from The Olive Press.
