Woman arrested in Logroño for stealing gold chain using 'romance theft' method
The National Police arrested a woman in her thirties after stealing a gold chain from a man through physical contact and sexual propositions. The Civil Guard also warns of several 'distressed relative' scams involving voices cloned by artificial intelligence.
Woman arrested in Logroño after stealing gold chain using 'romance theft' method
Google News ES — Crime (es) reports on two police operations in La Rioja that have uncovered two criminal methods on the rise: so-called 'romance thefts' and 'distressed relative' scams, the latter reinforced with artificial intelligence tools to clone voices.
Arrest for theft and sexual assault on a central street in Logroño
Officers from the Superior Police Headquarters of La Rioja have arrested a woman in her thirties accused of committing a theft offence and a sexual assault in a central commercial street in Logroño.
The incident began when the victim, a man, was shopping normally. A woman approached him and struck up a conversation, after which she began making sexual propositions and attempted to kiss him. The man rejected her advances at all times.
After several failed attempts, the woman withdrew. The victim returned to his home, located in the same commercial area, but as he opened the building door, the suspect slipped inside the building taking advantage of the fact that the door had not yet closed.
It was at this moment that the situation repeated: fresh attempts at physical contact with sexual propositions and intense physical contact. After checking his belongings following the incident, the man discovered that his gold chain had been taken from him.
The victim's quick reaction, who immediately alerted the National Police, made it possible to locate the suspect before she could leave the building. The National Police had been warning for weeks about 'romance thefts', a method in which personal approach and distraction are central elements of the modus operandi.
Civil Guard recovers nearly 10,000 euros from scam with voice generated by artificial intelligence
In parallel, the Technological Investigation Team (EDITE) and the Civil Guard's Technology Team (Equipo@) in La Rioja have clarified a case of fraud using the 'distressed relative' method with a distinguishing element: the use of artificial intelligence to clone the voice of the victim's relative.
The victim received several WhatsApp messages from an unknown number. The sender impersonated his daughter, claiming an urgent situation and requesting financial assistance. To reinforce the deception, the sender explained that she had problems accessing her bank account and needed money to make several payments that same day.
Suspicious, the victim decided to call the number to verify the identity of the person who had written to him. The call was answered by a voice that appeared to be his daughter's. Investigators later confirmed that this voice had been generated using artificial intelligence cloning tools, a technique that combines information obtained previously with voice synthesis systems to create high-credibility fictitious situations.
The victim ended up transferring 9,980.25 euros. The officers' quick action, coordinated with the financial institutions involved, made it possible to request urgent blocking of the transfer at the originating institution and the freezing of the funds in the destination account. All the money was recovered.
Three additional cases in Arnedo and Calahorra
The Civil Guard has also detected three other recent cases of the same method in the La Rioja towns of Arnedo and Calahorra. In the first, a 62-year-old woman transferred 850 euros to someone who impersonated her daughter. In the second, a 29-year-old woman sent another 850 euros to someone who posed as her brother. In the third, another woman made a transfer of 5,990 euros to a man who assumed the identity of her son.
All three cases illustrate that this criminal method remains active in La Rioja. The Civil Guard warns that criminals seek to provoke an immediate and emotional response from the victim, reducing the time available to verify the true identity of whoever is requesting the money.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)