Spanish 
Dutch 
French 
German 
Norwegian Bokmål 
Polish 
Swedish
- The suspect is also under investigation for money laundering.
- He obtained bank card details from the black market and linked them to his mobile phone.
- Victims from Málaga, Granada, Plasencia (Cáceres), Benicàssim (Castellón), and Soria were charged up to €10,000 in fraudulent purchases.
The Guardia Civil in the Region of Murcia has conducted Operation ‘Cricket25’, an investigation into five cases of fraud involving the unauthorized use of bank cards. The operation led to the arrest of a resident of Cieza, suspected of fraud and money laundering.
The investigation began in April last year when the Guardia Civil’s cybercrime unit in Cieza received multiple complaints about fraudulent purchases made at a local store. The victims, who had never visited or shopped online at the establishment, reported unauthorized charges on their bank accounts totaling nearly €10,000.
Initial inquiries revealed that the stolen bank card details had all been linked to the same unknown mobile phone. Investigators determined that the suspect had purchased card details on the black market, linked them to his phone, and used them to make payments at the card terminal of the store where he worked in Cieza. Immediately after processing the transactions, he transferred the funds to other bank accounts to make recovery more difficult.
Following a detailed investigation, the Guardia Civil arrested a 42-year-old Spanish man on suspicion of committing fraud in Málaga, Granada, Plasencia (Cáceres), Benicàssim (Castellón), and Soria.
Security Advice from the Guardia Civil
- Banks will never request access codes, security details, or transfers over the phone.
- Be wary of calls asking for such information, even if the caller ID displays your bank’s customer service number.
- If in doubt, hang up and contact your bank directly through official channels.
Spanish Dutch French German Norwegian Bokmål Polish Swedish
