A daring con artist, known to move through Barcelona’s social circles, allegedly swindled the upper crust of Madrid. Reports drawn from the Prensa Ibérica group and cited by EL PERIÓDICO DE CATALUÑA describe a Peru-born young man who, at 27, faced multiple denouncements from several affluent families in Madrid’s noble districts. He supposedly convinced people he belonged to their circle, masking his true intentions with their so-called shared status.
Darwin faced detentions on seven occasions between October 2021 and January 2023, carried out by the National Police and the Civil Guard. After his final arrest, he relocated to Istanbul. In Barcelona, a swell of complaints emerged in only two months, with residents in the city’s distinguished neighborhoods accusing him of fraud amounting to as much as 300,000 euros. He appeared in court multiple times in Spain within a year and a half.
Chamberí, Chamartín and El Retiro
The National Police led the pursuit, filing six investigations in total connected to complaints from people in wealthy areas. The suspect faced arrests for fraud on four occasions, plus one for falsifying documents, and a sixth tied to an outstanding arrest warrant. The Civil Guard also detained him once for a road-safety violation while driving a patrol car in Mérida. He tends to seek out upscale cars whenever possible, from luxury Lamborghinis to high-end Teslas.
The individual is described as tall and well-built, with short black hair and a penchant for expensive clothing brands such as Lacoste and Ralph Lauren. Mossos d’Esquadra officers, who recently arrested him in Catalonia, reported that he claimed suffering from mythomania, a condition that leads someone to spin elaborate stories to draw attention from the wealthiest circles. Police sources note that his narratives have convinced some complainants that he is part of a social class he does not belong to.
Wrong name
The man is said to use a false identity and present himself as a young American, Canadian, or someone from a wealthy European lineage who travels to Spain to inherit a large family fortune. His pretensions are supported by demonstrations such as displaying bank records or presenting conversations that resemble exchanges with a parent. Yet investigations indicate his family is not known for wealth.
In Spain, he did not hold legitimate employment or registration with police, yet unofficial agreements with several victims involved him returning substantial sums. This led investigators to suspect he stored cash, even though there was no verifiable inheritance. The exact source of funds remains uncertain.
By late January or early February, the subject settled in Barcelona, while investigators continued to pursue him and rumors swirled about fraud aimed at Madrid’s upper class. Since then, five different victims publicly denounced him.
On freedom
The initial complaint in Catalonia came from a woman who rented a ground-floor chalet to the suspect. She allowed a weekend trial of the property before signing an 18-month lease, paid a deposit, and then watched as the suspect showcased a montage of phone records to imply financial legitimacy. The house became a venue for gatherings during those two days, with guests arriving for meals and social events.
Following this first report, Mossos d’Esquadra received further complaints from other chalet and apartment owners in areas like Paseo de Gracia and nearby municipalities. They described disruption caused by the same scheme. The most recent complaint involved a stay at a five-star luxury hotel, where the suspect allegedly occupied a duplex suite with a woman for several days and left without paying a bill exceeding 20,000 euros.
At present, the individual remains at large. Sources cited by this publication indicate that ceasing the pattern might be difficult, given the skill with which he has claimed to belong to a world of wealth and privilege.