Love scam network disbanded in Málaga

A criminal organisation that allegedly defrauded 90 people in Spain of more than one million euro through the “love scam” method has been dismantled by the National Police in Málaga, an action in which 18 people have been arrested.

The network was allegedly dedicated to committing scams, falsifying documents and laundering the money from these criminal offences, as reported by the Police in a statement.

The criminal network used false identities and dedicated itself to gaining the trust of the victims “using all kinds of tricks”, with which it even managed to get them to fall in love with false profiles, such as an airplane pilot or a wealthy person whom they met on the internet, but never in person.

When they succeeded, they tricked the victims into sending an alleged gift that was retained at customs or by an alleged transport company, and to release it they needed large amounts of money. They even made threats in case the payment was not made, which created “insurmountable fear” in the victims, who agreed to pay “disproportionate” economic amounts, according to the Police.

The investigation began at the beginning of the year, following a complaint for a crime of fraud filed in Móstoles (Madrid), although the investigators determined that the perpetrators of the events were related to an account opened in a bank in Málaga.

From there, investigators in Málaga took charge, and subsequently identified a large number of victims, who were spread throughout the national territory.

The National Police has carried out 13 searches at homes and establishments of those investigated in which electronic devices, mobile phones, 36,000 euro and numerous documents, including false passports, have been seized.

The 18 members of the network have been arrested as alleged perpetrators of crimes against property and document falsification. The operation, framed in the fight against cybercrime, has culminated in the dismantling of the criminal group as well as the clarification of 60 scams out of the 90 investigated.

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