The fake Guardia Civil officer who fooled three women into handing over €135,000

The man’s backpack had a Guardia Civil’s emblem stitched on it, he had photographs in uniform and a fake badge to show. All of this was enough to convince three women that he was a real, although corrupt, police officer. None of it was true, however, and he’d taken more than €135,000 from them by the time real officers caught him stepping off a train in Madrid.

How the fake copper built relationships with victims through Facebook 

Police in Madrid said the 53-year-old suspect, who has previous convictions and no genuine connection to the Guardia Civil, found his three victims through Facebook. According to the Policía Nacional, he built close, personal relationships with each of the women over time before revealing what he claimed was his job. Once trust was established, he told them he was a Guardia Civil officer willing to bend the rules for money, offering privileged access to homes, cars and other property sold off cheaply through judicial auctions (court-ordered sales of seized assets). It is a legal route to a bargain in Spain, which is likely why the promise of an inside track proved so tempting.

A fake badge and uniform photos completed the disguise

To back up his story, the man carried a backpack bearing the Guardia Civil’s emblem, showed photographs of himself in uniform and produced what looked like an official badge. Investigators said these props, along with institutional symbols and references to the force, were the convincing factor for his victims. He also carried four mobile phones and six SIM cards, which police believe helped him juggle contact with different victims and stay ahead of suspicion for almost two years.

Three women lost more than €135,000 between them

The first victim handed over €45,000 in August, 2024, which she believed would secure her a specific property at auction. A second woman lost more than €43,000 in cash plus several high-value gift cards In August, 2025, targeted with the same method. And the most recent victim paid €47,000 in cash on Friday July 10 2026, this time for what she was told was the purchase of a van and further auction properties, along with personal belongings and a suitcase she sent to an address he had given her, which turned out to be false. Each time, once the money had changed hands, he made an excuse about taking a phone call and never came back, according to police.

How a tip about a train arrival ended the man’s run

Officers from the Policía Nacional’s fraud and theft units tracked the suspect for months before receiving intelligence that he would arrive in Madrid by train from Murcia. They arrested him on Monday August 10 2026 as he stepped off the service at Chamartín-Clara Campoamor station. Officers recovered just over €6,000 in cash when they arrested him, along with the backpack, the phones and the SIM cards, only a fraction of the more than €135,000 investigators say he took from his three victims.

He has since been charged with fraud and embezzlement and has already appeared before a judge.