The Guardia Civil have arrested three young people in their 20s in Tenerife, and are investigating a fourth, for scamming 170 victims by sending fraudulent SMS text messages. They are charged with crimes of belonging to a criminal group, fraud, money laundering, and illegal possession of weapons.
In the messages, the group posed as Banco Santander reporting an alleged security problem that had to be resolved urgently by clicking on the link in the text, which after accessing, the scammed people entered their bank details allowing the fraudsters to use their bank accounts to buy mobile phones, laptops, and other devices online, which they then sold at discounted prices, turning it into profit.
Part of these illicit funds were invested in cryptocurrencies, which the group intended to cash in at a later date so that they could claim all profits were from investments, consummating the crime of money laundering.
Thanks to the data provided by Banco Santander, and after meticulous analysis of the information, it was possible to determine that the amount defrauded by the detainees exceeded 200,000 euros, affecting more than 170 people, averaging around 1,200 euros per victim.
Officers carried out two searches of properties in Tenerife and seized 70 SIM cards, 38 high-end mobile phones (some of them still in their original packaging to be sold), four laptops, documentation related to the fraudulent purchases, 4,000 euros in cash, and a taser.
During the operation, the Banking Security and Fraud teams of Banco Santander also actively participated, forming a joint investigation team between both institutions. They have also sent genuine messages via their app to customers warning of the scam and that they never request customers bank details.
The proceedings are at the disposal of the Investigating Court No. 1 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, with the coordination of the Provincial Prosecutor's Office.
