From lovebirds to cyber crooks — this Torrevieja duo turned their home into a fraud fortress. Now, the game is up.
Torrevieja, Spain — A seemingly ordinary couple living on the Costa Blanca were in fact running what police have dubbed a “fraud factory”, scamming victims across Spain and beyond.
The Civil Guard swooped in last month, arresting a 44-year-old man and his 31-year-old partner after weeks of surveillance. Inside their modest Torrevieja apartment, officers uncovered a staggering haul: 65 mobile phones, 87 SIM cards, high-end laptops, cryptocurrency wallets, and €12,000 worth of anonymous prepaid bank cards.
“This was a fully-fledged cybercrime hub,” investigators said.
A Digital Web of Lies
The pair’s scam was as slick as it was sinister. They set up a fake website mimicking a major telecom company, tricking victims into entering their bank details while trying to top up phone credit. Those stolen details were then used to create virtual bank cards, which the fraudsters loaded onto their phones.
With their new digital loot, they hit shops across the Vega Baja del Segura region, snapping up cryptocurrency vouchers, prepaid cards, clothes, and groceries.
To avoid capture, the couple wore caps and sunglasses in public and drove around in a foreign-registered car that wasn’t in their names.
Dozens of Victims Across Spain — and Beyond
So far, police have identified at least 30 victims in provinces from Madrid to Seville, Valencia to Zaragoza. But the scam didn’t stop at Spain’s borders. The fraudsters were also caught using payment cards linked to banks in France, Greece, Cyprus, Lithuania, and Poland — hinting at international victims still to be uncovered.
The total damage? Around €20,000 — and counting.
Justice Catches Up
The male suspect has been sent to prison on remand, while his partner has been released pending charges. The investigation, dubbed Operation Júpiter-44, remains open, and officers warn more victims are likely to surface as the seized devices are analysed.
Police are urging the public to stay alert online: “Always check you’re on the official site before entering personal or banking details,” they stressed.
