Reported yesterday by “El Mundo”
The Civil Guard has collated with police databases with an investigation that has lasted almost two years.
In Moraira it was revealed that there had been 122 crimes of bank fraud worth 125,000 euros, resulting in the arrest of two British Nationals residing in Benitachell. The first arrest, a 29-year-old Briton allegedly guilty of two crimes of bank fraud with duplicated credit cards, started the operation and led to a search and seizure order for similar crimes of another 39 year old British man who lived with the detainee.
During the search of the house, the Civil Guard discovered the cultivation of almost 50 marijuana plants and a vehicle with counterfeit license plates that had been stolen in the UK. They also found various electronic items purchased online with cloned credit cards. The detainee was placed at the disposal of the judicial authority, but he was released awaiting trial.
A complex investigation
During the analysis of a computer found at the property, the agents found a hard disk with a small hidden file containing a spreadsheet with the full data of more than 14,000 credit cards from around the world .
The data, belonging to people of all nationalities, held all their private information including identification documents, telephone numbers, mail address, etc, plus expiration dates and card verification numbers (CVC) needed to make online and phone purchases.
Once the list was in their possession, the agents in Moraira checked with more than 14,000 people who had lodged bank fraud complaints. At the same time they contacted the national banking entities, to inform them of all persons whose personal information and cards had been compromised and their accounts have now been secured.
Although the alleged fraudster made the purchases mainly from people resident in Moraira, Jávea and Calpe , it has also been found that people were affected in Valencia, Murcia, Malaga, Almeria , Castellón and the Balearic Islands . The criminal acts began in 2011 and lasted until the beginning of this year!
The investigation has shown that this type of crime, whose modus operandi is to place the order online with duplicate data from another person , and give an erroneous address, but a correct contact telephone number. In this way the transport managers of well-known courier companies, get in touch with the recipient of the package, to verify the address, and it is the receiver who offers to meet at a meeting point to pick up the package . At the time of collection, assuming that he is the proper recipient of the package by having contacted him by phone, the delivery person does not request any type of documentation proving his identity, collaborating, albeit unwittingly with the fraud process.
The alleged perpetrator of the scams, the 29 year old un-named British citizen, is now missing, so it has been decreed an arrest warrant by the court dealing with the case.
The national banks that appeared in the list, have been alerted to avoid new scams with the data of their clients.
This article appeared here in El Mundo
