Alicante Fraudster Caught After 10 Years On The Run

The Guardia Civil has arrested a scammer based in Alicante who used a fake online presence to swindle thousands of euros from unsuspecting customers.

A report from the Guardia Civil, Thursday, June 29 revealed how the man managed to impersonate 61 people and 7 companies and got away with more than €55,000.

The man, who had been on the run from justice for more than a decade, was arrested in Alicante where he ran his lucrative network of fake companies.

Operation Zenigata

As part of Operation ‘ZENIGATA,’ the Guardia Civil has arrested a man who defrauded unsuspecting clients under the guise of a well-known online buying and selling platform.

The suspect had evaded the law for over 10 years and has subsequently been charged with the alleged ongoing offences of fraud and usurpation of civil status, money laundering and infringement of industrial property.

During the investigation, it emerged that the man assumed the identities of 61 people and 7 companies. Officers also located 180 bank accounts which were used to divert the money from the scams. It is estimated that the perpetrator was able to defraud more than €55,000.

Investigations began in January last 2022 when the Guardia Civil received a complaint from a person in Bizkaia, Basque country, in which he claimed that he had been the victim of an alleged scam, having purchased a video game console over the Internet and never received the product.

Officers started an investigation and were later able to verify how the suspect was offering products through fraudulent websites simulating the name and logos of real businesses.

When the officers had accumulated enough evidence, they succeeded in locating the perpetrator’s home as well as a storage room a few kilometres away.

Police Raid Scammer’s Property

During searches of the properties, investigators found multiple 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.

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

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.