Gang arrested after scams at petrol station cash machines in Spain

GUARDIA CIVIL operation ‘Voluto’ has resulted in the arrest of five people in Torrevieja and Benidorm believed to have carried out more than 2,000 scams at petrol stations across Spain.

The operation began in October 2012 when police became aware of a gang approaching petrol stations, posing as maintenance personnel for card payment terminals saying there was a problem with the machines.

Through their intervention they were able to obtain PIN numbers of prepaid card numbers. They went on to access the accounts of online gambling sites and fraudulently divert around €2million from online gaming, in particular, poker tournaments on sites located in Spain and Gibraltar.

Searches of properties in both cities resulted in the recovery and seizure of laptops, tablets, mobile phones and €6,000 in cash as well as different effects relating to internet gambling and the illegal laundering of money.