Online fraud involving a middleman tactic was reported by police authorities in Elche, focusing on a 24,200 euro scam against a Madrid company. The case unfolded as the victim received an email invoice for legal advisory services tied to a civil bankruptcy process. The perpetrators posed as a law firm needing payment, exploiting email channels to intervene in the transaction and collect the amount through altered payment details. The Madrid company filed a formal complaint, detailing that their invoice appeared legitimate but was intercepted by the fraudsters before the recipient could verify it. The criminals altered the bank account information to redirect funds to a controlled account, hoping the recipient would not suspect the invoice.
Subsequent actions saw the alleged offender emailing the supposed client about the payment and attempting three separate transfers to the impersonated legal counsel. The company only realized the fraud after attempting to settle the invoice and recognizing irregularities in the correspondence. Authorities documented the event as a classic man in the middle operation, with the scammer not located in the same city as the victim and leveraging email access to monitor communications.
The investigation identified that the suspect operated from Elche and used a methodical approach to conceal routine criminal activity. After efforts from the Investigation Group of the Judicial Police Brigade at the Elche Police Station, the individual, a 65-year-old Colombian national with no prior history, was located and detained. He was removed from the scene and held in protective custody while awaiting court proceedings. The case underscores how criminals frequently rely on proximity to the victim and on compromised email accounts to craft credible payment requests.
Online scams of this kind, widely known as middleman schemes, involve unauthorized access to email accounts to watch communications and pinpoint targets. The attacker typically sends a payment invoice from a provider and then subtly alters the document to direct funds to a fraudulent account. The changes are often small in scale but enough to mislead the recipient into approving the transfer without scrutinizing the email thoroughly.
Authorities emphasize that the best defense against such fraud is vigilance across all sectors. They advise everyone, including companies with varying revenue scales, to scrutinize any emails that carry invoices or payment instructions. A practical measure is to verify critical details through independent channels, such as contacting the invoicing party by a recognized phone number or a secure alternative method. The emphasis remains on early verification and cautious handling of payment data to prevent financial loss.
[Source: National Police attribution for context on similar cases and best practices].