The Guardia Civil have arrested a 45-year-old man in Teguise, Lanzarote, charged with running a scam known as the 'Black Money’ scam, which tricked victims out of over €27,000.
The arrest happened after officers saw a heated argument between two people in Costa Teguise. When they approached, they found packages wrapped in black plastic. The victim explained that the argument started because the scammer tried to run off with real money.
This scam, also called the 'tinted tickets’ scam, involves scammers telling a convincing story. They claim to have smuggled large sums of money out of their country by dyeing it black to avoid customs checks. To make their story believable, they show bundles of paper that look like real money, with genuine notes at the front. They then perform a demonstration using chemicals that supposedly 'cleans' the money.
Once victims are convinced, they hand over large sums of cash, expecting to receive more 'clean' notes in return. However, they soon realise they've been tricked and receive only worthless pieces of black cardboard.
This scam exploits the greed and naivety of victims, who are drawn in by the promise of easy profits. The Guardia Civil is increasing efforts to combat these scams and prevent more people from being deceived.
