Three held in València over fake work contract scam

Police in València have arrested three people over an alleged scam in which a resident in Pakistan paid €6,000 for a supposed job contract that was meant to allow him to move to Spain.

The National Police said the case centres on a complaint filed by the victim’s father after the promised move could not go ahead because the son was unable to travel to Spain.

According to the investigation, the three suspects were allegedly involved in a scheme to obtain the money in exchange for facilitating a work contract in Spain. Officers said one of the suspects acted as an intermediary between the complainant and the supposed employer, while another is believed to have received €3,000. The third arrested person was allegedly the holder of the bank account where the other €3,000 was paid.

Police said checks with different bodies and organisations allowed investigators to establish the suspected role of each of the three people and led to the arrests in València.

The suspects have since been placed at the disposal of the judicial authority on suspicion of favouring irregular immigration.

How the alleged scam worked

The victim was living in Pakistan and, according to the complaint, was supposed to travel to Spain after the payment was made. That move did not take place, and the family later reported the matter to police.

The force has not given further details about the identity of the suspects or the exact date of the arrests.