The National Police have dismantled a criminal organization in Malaga allegedly dedicated to scams, falsifying documents and money laundering for the so-called 'love scam', which consists of obtaining money through deception, even getting them to fall in love with false profiles on the Internet. The fraud amounts to more than one million euros and there are 18 detainees as alleged members of the network.
Those arrested are investigated as allegedly responsible for crimes against property and forgery of documents. 13 searches have been carried out in homes and establishments related to those investigated and electronic devices, telephones, numerous documents and 36,000 euros have been seized.
The agents have investigated 90 complaints filed throughout the national territory, clarifying 60 of them, as reported by the Malaga Provincial Police Station, pointing out in a statement that the so-called 'Malmos' operation began at the beginning of the year, as a result of a complaint presented before the National Police of Móstoles (Madrid) for a crime of fraud.
The first steps determined that the alleged perpetrator or perpetrators of the events were related to a bank account opened in Malaga and, from that moment, agents from the investigation group of the East District Police Station in the capital of Malaga took charge of the investigation. investigation.
As they have pointed out, the agents faced an arduous investigation since they were locating a large number of victims. In addition, the alleged perpetrators had specialized in this type of scam and were organized in such a way that there were victims spread throughout the national territory.
This criminal network was dedicated to deceiving, through a fraud known as the 'love scam', which consists of gaining the trust of the victims, using false identities to do so, using all kinds of tricks to achieve deception, even going so far as to getting them to fall in love with a fake profile -- supposed airplane pilot or wealthy person -- that they meet through the Internet, mainly on a well-known social network.
When they gain their trust, they cajole the victims by sending an alleged gift, which is retained at customs or by an alleged transport company, requiring large amounts of money to release it, even going so far as to make threats if it is not make the payment, "which creates an insurmountable fear in the victims, who agree to pay such disproportionate economic amounts," the National Police have indicated.
During the investigations, numerous surveillance and follow-ups were carried out, identifying new members, locating addresses and commercial establishments that the criminals used to carry out criminal activity. During the arrests, those investigated presented false passports that were also seized along with electronic devices and 36,000 euros.
Finally, the exploitation phase was carried out and the competent court authorized the pertinent entries and searches in the homes and establishments related to the plot, all of which were carried out simultaneously.
This operation, framed in the fight against Cybercrime, has culminated in the dismantling of the criminal group and the arrest of 18 people, 13 searches in establishments and homes, as well as the clarification of 60 scams out of the 90 investigated.
In this police operation, carried out by the judicial police group of the Eastern District police station, National Police groups such as UPR, money laundering, cybercrime, foreigners and borders, and agents assigned to the Northern Districts have also participated. , Center and West.
