An international operation against fraud
The National Police has carried out a successful operation in Madrid that has resulted in the dismantling of a criminal organization dedicated to defrauding elderly people in Germany. This group, which operated from a call center in the Spanish capital, managed to defraud over 1,260,000 euros using a clever and cruel method known as shock call.
The scammers used a technique designed to induce a state of panic in their victims. In the calls, they posed as relatives of the elderly, claiming that they had been involved in serious car accidents. The distress caused by these false emergencies was such that the victims felt pressured to act quickly without consulting anyone.
The investigation began in late February after receiving alerts from German authorities about the operation of the call center. Thanks to the collaboration between the National Police and the Bavarian State Police, six individuals were arrested, four in Spain and two in Germany, who face charges of criminal organization and ongoing fraud. All detainees have been imprisoned while further investigations are carried out.
The group's modus operandi included multiple stages to increase the credibility of the scam. After the initial alarming call, another team member would contact the victim posing as a police officer, informing them that the relative had caused the accident due to misuse of a mobile phone while driving. To avoid serious legal consequences, they demanded exorbitant payments of around 90,000 euros.
To further enhance the fraud's credibility, a third accomplice impersonated a prosecutor and provided precise instructions on how to make the payment. Meetings to collect money or valuable goods were organized near local courts, where the scammers could again pose as judicial authorities.
Despite having identified 14 victims so far, authorities do not rule out that this number may increase as investigations progress. The speed with which these criminals operated allowed them to avoid any prior consultation by the victims with their relatives or friends.
During the raid conducted in Madrid, the entire infrastructure used to carry out these scams was dismantled, and several valuable items were recovered, including 920 grams of gold. The operation concluded successfully in March; however, investigations remain open in the possibility of discovering more victims of this type of fraud.
You may also like
