The most troubling truth was the way deceit crept in while families were away. A widow recalls how a scammer exploited their grief at a Barcelona cemetery, triggering a formal fraud investigation. The victim, who remains unnamed for safety, spoke with a Catalan newspaper that belongs to the Prensa Ibérica group about how there were insinuations the paper was first to report the case. A complainant described paying for a so‑called preferred arrangement and said others did the same because they felt they had no options. Promise after promise, the victim says the envelope with 1,840 euros never justified the deal, and many families felt pressured to act quickly.
Norma’s Testimony
Norma’s husband died suddenly in March 2022. She hoped to honor his wish by burying him in a Barcelona cemetery, Les Corts, a place Stefán enjoyed as part of a multicultural city for more than five decades. The funeral home told Norma there were no available niches at Les Corts, and she clung to the hope that her husband could rest there. Reassurances faded when she was told no space could be spared. Disheartened, Norma ultimately made the difficult choice to bury him elsewhere near Barcelona.
In the days that followed, Norma grieved while also seeking to fulfill the couple’s final wishes. She visited the Cementiris office at Les Corts and was approached by a person who presented a confident, persuasive manner. The individual appeared trustworthy, friendly, and charismatic. He soon became the so‑called swindler of the Barcelona cemeteries.
The ad prompted Norma to sit, log in, and review options. She was shown available niches and told that some details, like proximity to a neighbor’s plot, affected convenience and weather exposure. The presenter suggested that a particular niche would be perfect for the family, and Norma and the salesperson proceeded to formalize the paperwork for the transaction.
The conversation then shifted to the bill. Norma recalls that the salesperson described a budget for a fifty‑year niche, including stonework and vases. A prominent detail stuck with her: the niche would remain unused for at least two years, a legally required window before transporting a body. Norma even had a tombstone ready, but she was told it could not be used because it clashed with regulations and aesthetics, forcing her to choose from the budget items instead. The handler took charge, leaving Norma with a sense of unease about the process.
The envelope appeared with a blue‑ink notation—1,840 euros. The amount had to be placed in cash and sealed in an envelope to seal the deal quickly, according to the salesperson. Norma was told the money covered marble work and operator commissions, with the implication that VAT would be avoided. The arrangement felt rushed and coercive, a pattern Norma would later question.
The Price of Fear
Back home, Norma felt the weight of what she had agreed to. The niche seemed manipulated, and she wrestled with the fear of being swindled. After much deliberation, she drafted a message to the worker asking to review the entire transaction and to ensure every penny was accounted for, not hidden in the bill. The phone call arrived soon after. The worker warned of consequences if the franchise were revoked and pressed Norma to move forward with the agreement. Norma refused to abandon her husband’s last wish again and began to speak with authorities. A Barcelona city official relayed the situation, highlighting the envelope’s oddity and the ad’s absence in the future.
Following Norma’s report, Cementiris de Barcelona and the city’s municipal services reviewed the case. The ad was removed from circulation, and an internal inquiry began, with past sales reexamined and customer communications assessed. The investigation uncovered similar stories from seven other families who faced the same deceptive approach. The ad was finally halted in June, and the city council alerted the Mossos d’Esquadra to investigate the suspect’s actions. Norma wondered aloud why the funeral home had initially claimed there was no space at Les Corts.
The council later reimbursed the families who fell victim to the scheme. Norma retained the niche for her husband and, in time, planned to move his remains to Camp Nou, fulfilling one more wish and exposing a deceitful operator who preyed on families during a period of deep vulnerability.