The Guardia Civil has arrested a 32-year-old man in Dolores accused of carrying out three frauds using “smishing”—text-message phishing that impersonates banks to extract victims’ financial details. The scams, investigated under case Nodo_26, caused combined losses exceeding €2,000.
Investigators from the Guardamar del Segura research unit opened the probe in September after a resident of Oliva de la Frontera (Badajoz) reported receiving a fraudulent bank text and providing her account information. Using those details, the suspect created a virtual bank card and withdrew €1,200 in cash from an ATM in Guardamar del Segura.
Electronic traces and CCTV analysis, conducted with support from the Dolores station, identified the suspect and linked him to at least two additional identical frauds affecting residents of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and San Javier (Murcia).
Following discreet surveillance, the suspect was located and arrested in a Dolores neighbourhood on March 23. He was handed over to the Civil Section of the Orihuela Court, which released him on charges pending trial. The Guardia Civil continues the investigation and says more victims may emerge.
Authorities urge the public not to share personal or banking information in response to unsolicited messages and to exercise caution with communications purporting to be from financial institutions.
For more information: Guardia Civil Alicante Communications Office, +34 96 514 56 60, ext. 0610011
