Transfers and Fraud in Alicante
The timeline stretches back to 2019, a period when illness and pandemic restrictions prevented victims from traveling to Alicante. A woman recently left the Alicante Provincial Police Station and reported that she and her husband had fallen prey to a scam after responding to a promotion seen on a popular social network. The advertisement claimed an opportunity to obtain a residence permit in Spain by purchasing a business franchise priced at 50,000 euros.
Trusting the ad, the couple contacted a person who corroborated the information and agreed on the financial details. They traveled to Algeria with their wife, and in Alicante they met a man who accompanied them to a notary where a contract and a deed transferring company shares were signed, marking the beginning of the alleged franchise arrangement.
Transfers
The victims conducted three bank transfers totaling 52,615 euros and signed documents that were presented as evidence of franchise ownership in a new company.
Shortly thereafter, the same intermediary presented a renewed proposal. The man proposed a monthly salary of 3,500 euros if they invested in a second franchise valued at 30,000 euros. He even suggested a sea view apartment with no rent obligations. Believing the offer to be legitimate, the victims agreed to acquire the second franchise and returned to Spain to sign additional documents. They then traveled back to Algeria from Alicante, making a first payment of 14,500 euros.
The couple did not receive any further updates about the second franchise, the status of the residence permit, or the overall transactions. Attempts to reach the intermediary were unsuccessful. In online forums, the woman found comments suggesting that this individual had defrauded others, and her photo appeared to match the man involved in the scam. The prolonged delay in pursuing the matter was due to illness and COVID-19 travel restrictions, which had prevented filing a formal complaint.
After the report reached the National Police, special units in Alicante focused on migration networks and documentary fraud began an assessment. They reviewed documentation provided by the victims and conducted multiple checks to identify the main actors. They located a woman who served as the sole director of the company to which the victims had issued two franchises and identified the man who had interactions with the victims and who signed the contracts.
Investigators established that the franchises purportedly sold by the suspects did not exist, and that the contract documents were notarized but false. This was a calculated scam in which two suspects deceived the victims, resulting in a documented loss of 52,615 euros, with an additional 14,500 euros asked as a second payment.
The police detained two individuals suspected of involvement in fraud and document forgery. The case was referred to the Alicante guard court for further proceedings and the investigation continues to determine the full scope and victims involved.