Two men held over ATM thefts targeting elderly victims

Guardia Civil officers in El Campello have arrested two men suspected of stealing more than €19,000 from older bank customers in a series of ATM thefts across eastern and southern Spain.

The two suspects, aged 31 and 37, are accused of taking part in eight alleged offences between February and October in Alicante, Castellón, Valencia and Cádiz provinces. They were later released by a court subject to precautionary measures.

How the alleged scam worked

According to the Guardia Civil, the men approached elderly people while they were using cash machines, watched them enter their PIN and then distracted them in conversation to take their bank card or passbook.

Investigators say the suspects then used the stolen details and cards to withdraw more cash from the victims’ accounts. The force described the method as a form of distraction theft aimed at people making transactions at ATMs.

The operation came to a head when officers from the Guardia Civil’s investigation unit in El Campello saw an elderly married couple withdrawing money from a cash machine and noticed two men acting suspiciously nearby.

That sighting led officers to request support from a uniformed patrol, which intervened and arrested both suspects.

Cash and documents seized

At the time of the arrest, the men were allegedly carrying €1,000 they had just taken from the couple, along with a further €3,400 in cash and another victim’s bank passbook, according to the force.

Investigators have linked the pair to incidents in Orihuela, Torrevieja, San Juan and El Campello, as well as Benicàssim, Tavernes de la Valldigna and San Roque.

The Guardia Civil said the inquiry is continuing and that the alleged offences caused losses of more than €19,000 in total.