Woman arrested in Alicante over bank scam

National Police officers have arrested a woman in Alicante for her suspected involvement in a bank scam that resulted in a Valladolid resident losing 15.499€ after falling victim to a “smishing” scheme. The criminals posed as bank employees through text messages sent to the mobile phone, tricking the victim into handing over personal details and even a selfie photograph.

The fraud began last May. According to the complaint filed by the victim at the Provincial Police Station in Valladolid, unknown individuals contacted him via text message, making him believe he was speaking with representatives from his bank. Under this deception, they warned him that he needed to complete a series of procedures to prevent his account from being cancelled.

The victim followed the instructions of the fraudsters and went as far as sending a photograph of his face, alongside providing information regarding his identity. With these details, the perpetrators of the fraud managed to carry out three transfers from his account: an initial one of 10.000€, another of 4.500€, and a final one of 999€. In total, 15.499€.

Enquiries enabled officers to trace the money to an account held by a woman residing in Alicante. The investigation maintains that she acted as a necessary accomplice to the scam, receiving the stolen money, keeping a small percentage as a commission, and transferring the remainder to bank accounts located in tax havens in other countries and controlled, according to police, by those responsible for the network.

Once identified, investigators in Valladolid requested assistance from the Provincial Police Station in Alicante. Officers located and arrested the suspect in the Alicante capital as the suspected perpetrator of a fraud offence. After giving a statement at police premises, she was released with the obligation to appear before the judicial authority when required. The police report has been forwarded to the competent court and the National Police considers the investigation concluded.

The National Police has used this case to issue a fresh warning regarding this type of fraud. It recommends distrusting any message that apparently comes from a banking institution and requests personal details, invites clicking a link, or asks to call numbers included within the text message itself.