- They are accused of fraud, illegal access to computer systems, forgery of public documents, identity theft, and belonging to a criminal group.
- ‘Man in the Middle’ Attack: The perpetrators intercepted email communications between companies, altered outstanding invoices, and changed the bank account number.
- The stolen money was withdrawn in stages through gaming halls in Roquetas de Mar and La Mojonera (Almería).
Murcia, March 31, 2024
The Civil Guard of the Region of Murcia has conducted Operation ‘Flash Back’, an investigation into an alleged fraud scheme targeting two agricultural companies based in Mazarrón and Níjar (Almería). So far, five individuals have been identified and are being investigated as the alleged perpetrators of fraud, illegal access to computer systems, forgery of public documents, identity theft, and belonging to a criminal organization.
The ‘Flash Back’ operation, still ongoing and part of the ‘Cybercrime Prevention and Response Plan’, began in late August when the legal representative of an agricultural company in Mazarrón reported being the victim of fraud.
Unidentified individuals had impersonated another company to which they owed nearly €24,000, altered the bank account number on an outstanding invoice, and fraudulently collected the funds.
As the Civil Guard’s cybercrime teams gathered evidence, another complaint emerged from an agricultural company based in Níjar (Almería), reporting a similar fraud with losses exceeding €12,000.
A ‘Man in the Middle’ Cyberattack
Investigators discovered that both frauds involved the ‘Man in the Middle’ method, where cybercriminals intercept digital communications between businesses to obtain confidential data and profit illegally.
Using social engineering techniques, the fraudsters accessed the companies’ email systems, obtained information about commercial transactions, and altered outstanding invoices by changing the bank account details for payments.
The Money Was Withdrawn from Gaming Halls in Almería
Investigations revealed that the stolen funds were quickly transferred to bank accounts under the name of a resident of Roquetas de Mar (Almería).
The suspects then withdrew the money in phases through gaming halls located in Roquetas de Mar and La Mojonera.
So far, the Civil Guard has identified and investigated five individuals allegedly involved in the fraud, attributing them to the crimes of fraud, illegal access to computer systems, document forgery, identity theft, and participation in a criminal group.
Operation ‘Flash Back’, initiated by cybercrime teams in Lorca (Murcia), remains active and is being conducted in collaboration with Judicial Police and Public Security specialists from Roquetas de Mar, under the Almería Civil Guard Command.
Recommendations
To prevent this type of fraud, the Civil Guard’s cybercrime units recommend verifying bank account details before making payments.
Even when dealing with trusted companies, a simple phone verification can be crucial to confirm any notifications about bank account changes.
