A professional scammer, identified by national authorities, orchestrated a scheme that exploited the trust of multiple victims through a disability association. The offender defrauded one individual of more than 20,000 euros by securing microloans in that person’s name and manipulating financial transactions.
Allegations indicate the detainee obtained the victim’s National Identity Document and then opened several micro-loan accounts in the victim’s profile. In addition, the suspect accessed the victim’s mobile device and redirected funds to a personal account via payment platforms. This sequence allowed substantial debts to accumulate in the victim’s name, while the perpetrator remained unseen for a time.
Investigators describe a pattern where the suspect targeted vulnerable individuals, leveraging their circumstances to advance criminal activity and extend reach into surrounding networks. Thanks to the swift actions of agents from the Economic Crime Group, the probe began quickly bearing fruit, preventing further harm to members of the association and limiting the spread of fraudulent activity.
Fraud as a source of livelihood
Over subsequent months, investigators traced activity to several cities, including Alicante, Badajoz, and Madrid, with reports suggesting similar movements into parts of Portugal. The operation revealed a systematic approach to deception using online rental platforms where the scammer advertised rooms at unusually low prices. Victims were asked to send bail or advance payments through payment services or wire transfers, after which the supposed hosts disappeared. Through this method, investigators have documented more than twenty separate scams to date.
Lived for months under another person’s identity
The case further describes how the suspect exploited a personal connection to obtain a victim’s National Identity Document from the victim’s residence. By stealing this official ID, the offender could travel, reside, and access hotlines under the assumed name, enabling ongoing fraud. Court orders in Cuenca and Alicante framed the legal proceedings, complicating immediate identification as the perpetrator altered appearance with disguises to avoid detection and hamper the investigation.
After defrauding a victim of 20,000 euros, the suspect briefly vanished, moving between locations while law enforcement pursued leads. The Economic Crime Group followed the suspect from Alicante to Madrid, coordinating steps across multiple points on the national map to track daily online scams. The alleged fraudster operated under a false identity, continuing to commit crimes as authorities closed in.
When apprehended, the individual was transferred to the appropriate court. The case is being built as a pattern of more than 20 fraud and identity-theft crimes, with two jurisdictional claims related to property offenses also noted in the records.
Authorities emphasize that this investigation demonstrates how easily identity manipulation and digital payment platforms can be leveraged for financial harm, underscoring the importance of strong identity verification, cautious handling of personal documents, and timely reporting of suspicious activity. The ongoing case continues to inform best practices for protecting vulnerable groups in communities and the wider public from similar schemes. Source attributions include official statements from national police authorities and the Economic Crime Group, which highlight procedural findings and case developments.