The Guardia Civil has arrested three men in Torrevieja for allegedly executing a series of banking scams across Spain. The suspects, aged between 24 and 28, used fraudulent SMS messages and telephone calls to pose as financial institutions, targeting victims in multiple provinces. The investigation has so far resolved eight counts of fraud involving victims in Alicante, Almeria, Barcelona, Guadalajara, Madrid, Murcia, Seville and Valencia.
The detainees face charges for a continuous offence of fraud and membership of a criminal group. According to the Alicante Command, the criminal organisation employed social engineering techniques to obtain the internet banking access credentials and verification codes of their victims. Armed with this sensitive information, the group made cash withdrawals from cash machines and conducted fraudulent purchases of high-value items, including mobile phones, watches, perfume and clothing.
The financial damage confirmed so far amounts to 30,975 euro. The investigation was spearheaded by the Guardia Civil @ Team in Torrevieja and began in January 2026, after officers noticed an unusual surge in reports regarding fraudulent cash withdrawals and electronics purchases made using illegally obtained payment details.
Enquiries revealed that the perpetrators initiated the scam by sending out fraudulent text messages, a method known as smishing. These messages mimicked official communications from banking corporations, alerting victims to supposed unauthorised charges or time-sensitive issues with their bank accounts.
Following the text messages, victims received phone calls from criminals pretending to be bank employees. This tactic, known as spoofing, was designed to trick the individuals into revealing their access passwords and verification codes, allowing the scammers to manipulate their bank accounts.
Although the victims lodged complaints in various provinces, all the physical cash withdrawals were concentrated in a highly specific area of Orihuela Costa, and the fraudulent purchases were traced to a single commercial centre. The members of the criminal group maintained high levels of activity across different locations on the Mediterranean coast and travelled frequently between provinces to carry out their illicit transactions.
The three suspects were eventually located and arrested on 30th April while making purchases at a commercial establishment in Torrevieja. During the arrests, officers seized 3,005 euro in cash, ten mid-range and high-end mobile phones, and three laptop computers.
The men have been placed at the disposal of the Examining Section of the Instance Court of Torrevieja, which subsequently decreed their release with precautionary measures.
The Guardia Civil reminds members of the public to remain suspicious of messages or calls requesting banking details, passwords or verification codes, even if they appear to originate from official organisations. If in doubt, they recommend contacting the financial institution directly.
