Four arrested in Cádiz for defrauding 191 victims of €74,000 on second-hand sale platforms
Spain's National Police in Cádiz dismantles an organisation that deceived 191 online sellers. Two of the four arrested have been remanded in custody.
Scam network dismantled in Cádiz on second-hand trading websites with 191 victims
Officers of Spain's National Police in Cádiz have arrested four suspected members of a criminal organisation that defrauded more than €74,000 from 191 victims across different parts of Spain, according to eleconomista.es. The group operated through second-hand sale and purchase platforms, posing as buyers interested in vehicles, motorcycles and properties.
The investigation was carried out by the Technological Crimes Group of the Local Police Station in San Fernando (Cádiz). Officers determined that the organisation contacted sellers who had posted advertisements on online trading portals to initiate the fraud.
Once contact was established, those under investigation used different mechanisms to induce victims to make bank transfers or hand over cash. The victims believed they were receiving a payment signal from the supposed buyer, or were completing the formalities of the transaction, when in reality they were being victims of a scam.
Spain's National Police noted in a statement reported by Europa Press that the group operated in a structured manner, with a division of functions among its members and specific mechanisms to hamper its identification and the subsequent tracing of money obtained fraudulently.
In the course of the operation, officers carried out two raids and searches at the homes of the main subjects under investigation, which resulted in the arrest of the four people. After being brought before a judge, two of them have been remanded in custody. The investigation remains open and the Police do not rule out further arrests in the coming days.
Spain's National Police took the opportunity afforded by the operation to remind people of the importance of exercising caution in online transactions. The institution recommended not making advance payments or handing over amounts as a deposit without first having verified the identity of the other party and the real existence of the item advertised. It also urged people to be wary of transactions in which there is pressure to close the deal urgently or through channels other than the usual ones on the platform.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)