A fraud operation rooted in Rojales, Alicante, appears to have facilitated more than a hundred scams across Spain. In these schemes, victims purchased high-end mobile phones online that never arrived, leaving buyers without the merchandise or any remedy from the seller. The total losses from the alleged offenses exceed 100,000 euros.
Police authorities have detained a 42-year-old man of Spanish nationality in the Alicante province on suspicion of ongoing fraud conducted through an online phone sales business. The suspect allegedly orchestrated a scheme that involved selling premium smartphones online and failing to deliver them to customers, with no adequate response when complaints were raised. The financial impact is reported to surpass 100,000 euros, and the case involves multiple judicial warrants for related offenses.
Investigation
The investigation began when the Economic and Fiscal Crime Group identified a cluster of complaints linked to the same sales website. In all, about 121 complaints were recorded, with victims reporting that orders for premium smartphones were placed but never fulfilled and that the website offered little to no customer support to resolve delivery issues. This pattern suggested a coordinated online scam that targeted consumers across the country, generating substantial losses for those affected.
During the course of the inquiry, authorities uncovered that the suspect carried four judicial requisitions, one of which demanded detention for imprisonment. The charges aligned around fraud as the central activity, with investigators piecing together the operational methods and the progression of the scheme.
Law enforcement officials devised and executed a comprehensive operation aimed at locating and arresting the individual. The operation culminated in Ciudad Quesada-Rojales, Alicante, where the arrest was effected by coordinating agencies.
The suspect and the evolving case were handed over to the Guardia Civil Court of Torrevieja to continue proceedings consistent with applicable law and procedures. This case underscores the ongoing efforts by national and local authorities to protect consumers from online fraud and to dismantle operations that rely on deceptive digital storefronts. The investigation team emphasized the importance of cross-jurisdictional cooperation to identify and pursue similar schemes that may span multiple regions.
Officials stressed that victims should retain all purchase records, payment confirmations, and any correspondence with the seller, as these materials can be critical to establishing the fraud pattern and calculating losses. For consumers who encounter non-delivery or evasive responses after purchasing expensive devices online, authorities advise reporting the incident promptly to local police or the appropriate cybercrime unit, where rapid tracing of funds and website activity can facilitate investigations. The case serves as a warning about the risks of shopping from lesser-known online platforms and highlights the value of verifying seller legitimacy, checking for transparent contact information, and seeking buyer protections offered by payment processors.