A web of deception that moves
The National Police has dismantled a complex scam network operating in Madrid, primarily targeting vulnerable elderly women. The group's modus operandi involved posing as doctors to request large sums of money under the threat of critical health situations involving the victims' children.
The main suspect, a 42-year-old Bulgarian man, used alarming rhetoric to emotionally manipulate his victims. He presented himself as a surgeon with 25 years of experience and claimed he needed to perform an urgent operation to save the victims' children, who were supposedly gravely injured.
In recordings obtained by the police, the fake doctor insisted on the urgency of the procedure, mentioning the need to implant “six gold screws,” something he claimed was not available in Spain. To increase the pressure on the victims, he interspersed audio recordings simulating the cries and desperate pleas of the supposed sick children.
“Help me, mum! Everything the doctor says is true,” was heard in one of the audios used during the calls. This type of emotional manipulation was key in persuading many elderly women to agree to hand over up to 30,000 euros in cash.
The calls were made from hidden numbers and could last for hours. During this time, the scammer requested personal information and kept the victims isolated by asking them not to contact anyone else. In some cases, he even asked them to prepare jewellery and other valuable items to hand over as part of the payment.
“Keep all the money and put it in a bag,” instructed the fake doctor before coordinating the delivery of the money through an accomplice.
Through this fraudulent operation, it is estimated that the group managed to obtain nearly 300,000 euros in total. The investigation began following an initial complaint filed by a woman affected by these deceptive practices. So far, at least 13 crimes related to this type of scam have been recorded in various districts of Madrid and other locations such as Torrejón de Ardoz and Alicante.
As the investigation progresses, authorities are exploring possible links to other criminal networks and analysing whether there are more victims scattered throughout Spain. It is suspected that the main scammer may have had access to private databases to identify his targets.
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