Fraudster caught in Alicante after 10 years on the run

The Guardia Civil have arrested a scammer in Alicante who used a fake online presence to swindle thousands of euros from unsuspecting customers. An official police press release has revealed how he managed to impersonate 61 people and 7 companies to defraud people of more than 55,000 euros.

The man, who has been on the run from justice for more than ten years, was arrested in Alicante where he ran his lucrative network of fake companies, that defrauded unsuspecting clients under the guise of a well-known online buying and selling platform.

During the investigation, it emerged that the man had assumed the identities of 61 people and 7 companies. Officers also located 180 bank accounts that were used to hide the money from the scams.

Investigations began in January 2022 when the Guardia Civil received a complaint from a person in the Basque country, in which he claimed that he had purchased a video game console over the internet, but had never received the product.

Officers were able to verify how the suspect was offering products through fraudulent websites simulating the name and logos of real businesses. Once they had collected enough evidence, they managed to locate the perpetrator’s home, as well as a store room a few kilometres away.

During searches of the properties, they found several bank cards, mobile phones for cash withdrawals, and parcels of purchases made by the detainee, all in the names of people whose identities he had impersonated.

The scammer had devised a system that consisted of four mobile phones connected to the same network through which he could manage the incoming money from the scams and quickly move it to different accounts to cover his tracks.

He had opened an online business by copying the name and details of a real shop, and lured his victims with prices slightly lower than those of other outlets.

When the customers did not receive the product, and contacted the suspect to complain, the perpetrator informed them that in order to get the money back for the purchase insurance, the buyer had to provide a photograph of his ID card on both sides.

The people who agreed to send the documentation not only lost their money but their details were used to activate bank accounts and mobile phones to continue the scam.

He is now in custody of the judicial authorities awaiting trial and sentencing.