– GUARDIA CIVIL
The Guardia Civil, in the framework of the operation ‘ERITHACUS’ initiated in the municipality of Cartagena (Murcia) for the commission of a scam through social networks, has dismantled a criminal group based in Bilbao and Valencia dedicated to committing online scams.
Following the operation, which is still open and is part of the ‘Plan of prevention and response against cybercrime’, the ‘@’ Team of the Benemérita has investigated the three members of the criminal group, as alleged perpetrators of fraud and membership of a criminal group, who by deception would have snatched a large amount of money from a resident of Cartagena (Murcia).
The civil guards opened the investigation last March, when a resident of the port city reported to the Benemérita having suffered a scam in which a large amount of cash had been taken from her, according to sources from the Benemérita in a statement.
The victim reported to the Guardia Civil that it all began when, through a well known web of buying and selling, she was interested in some parrots offered. The seller informed him that he was giving them away and that he only had to pay for the transport costs, so the victim made these payments, although he never received the birds he had bought.
The victim received threats from the perpetrators that if he did not make the payments, they would report him to the authorities. In response to the threats, the victim made a series of bank transfers to the accounts indicated to him, as well as some payments through a popular online platform, which exceeded 13,000 euros.
Civil guards from the ‘@’ Team in Cartagena took charge of the investigation, opened operation ‘ERITHACUS’ and continued with the investigations to clarify the facts.
The investigators carried out an analysis of the traceability of the money, until they finally managed to identify seven people, some of whom were behind the profile of the advertisement on the website and others who received the money and managed the bank accounts.
Shortly afterwards, the investigators of the ‘@’ Team in Cartagena found that the alleged perpetrators were operating from different locations in Vizcaya, Navarre and Valencia, so, once all the necessary evidence had been obtained, the collaboration of their counterparts in the Bilbao and Valencia police stations was requested.
In the first phase of the operation, the Guardia Civil investigated three people as alleged perpetrators of fraud and membership of a criminal group.
The Guardia Civil continues with the operation open to locate more victims of the criminal activity now clarified, not ruling out the involvement of more people in the dismantled plot.
The investigated persons seized and the proceedings have been handed over to the competent judicial authorities.