Twelve held in identity fraud probe over fake betting accounts

Guardia Civil officers have dismantled a network accused of using stolen identities to open online betting accounts and move the winnings into bank accounts they controlled.

The operation, which investigators say was spread across much of Spain, ended with 12 people arrested, 11 others under investigation and 39 more identified outside the country as part of a wider inquiry into 36 alleged offences.

The victims were left facing unexpected tax claims after supposed gambling profits appeared in their draft income tax returns, with the total amount reclaimed by authorities put at €121,355.

The force said the group allegedly obtained personal data by deception and then used it to register people on gaming platforms without their knowledge or consent. Once the accounts were open, the winnings were channelled away from the legitimate holders of the data and into accounts linked to the network.

Investigators say the case began in March 2024 after a complaint in Tudela de Duero, in Valladolid. It gathered pace during the 2025 tax season, when similar complaints alerted officers to a wider pattern of identity misuse tied to online betting.

Charges under investigation

Those under suspicion are being probed for alleged offences including identity misuse, fraud, money laundering, document falsification and membership of a criminal organisation.

The Guardia Civil said the structure had an international reach and that the investigation remains open in relation to those identified abroad.

The case adds to a growing list of frauds in Spain in which criminals use personal data to open financial or gaming accounts in other people’s names, leaving victims to deal with the consequences long after the money has been moved on.