PJ dismantles computer fraud network targeting Santander bank with losses of €50 million
The Judicial Police, through the National Unit for Combating Cybercrime, carried out an operation on Wednesday morning that resulted in several arrests. The criminal network allegedly used the Spanish bank's name to divert funds through phishing.
PJ dismantles computer fraud network targeting Santander bank with losses of €50 million
An operation by the Judicial Police dismantled a criminal organisation dedicated to computer crimes against Santander bank on Wednesday morning. The National Unit for Combating Cybercrime (UNC3T) coordinated the action, which caused losses estimated at approximately €50 million to the Spanish financial institution.
According to Correio da Manhã, the illicit schemes were allegedly perpetrated in Spanish territory, although the criminal group resorted to bank accounts in Portugal to conceal the money obtained.
The individuals detained allegedly impersonated Santander's identity to deceive various entities, including a major insurance company in Spain. The technique employed involved fraudulently obtaining victims' banking data through fake messages and web pages — the so-called phishing.
The illicitly obtained funds were then channelled to accounts domiciled in Portuguese territory, in a circuit designed to conceal the origin of the funds.
The police operation included multiple house searches and resulted in the arrest of several suspects, although the authorities have not yet released official figures on the full scope of the operation.
Source: Correio da Manhã