A ‘romance scam’ cost an octogenarian more than 350,000 euros in Spain

Ávila (Spain).- The Spanish Civil Guard has arrested 14 people of different nationalities following the complaint of an 86-year-old woman who was the victim of a “romance scam” by a supposed actor from a television series, with whom she lost about 354,000 euros. The octogenarian swindled, who despite her age had knowledge of social networks and a good command of English, reported having started a sentimental relationship with a fake profile on a well-known social network that supposedly belonged to a famous actor from a television series. The alleged scammer gained their trust over several months through daily conversations, sending fake photos, and affectionate promises, getting the victim to make multiple bank transfers under false pretenses, such as supposed family emergencies or non-existent investments. Investigations confirmed that it was a criminal group operating from Nigeria using fake profiles on social media and messaging applications, which were formerly known as ‘Nigerian letters’.

Many of these profiles “impersonated young and attractive men”, and even fictional characters based on hit series, “with the sole aim of emotionally manipulating the victims to obtain large sums of money”, according to the Civil Guard.

After consummating the deception, the money was quickly dispersed among multiple bank accounts in various financial institutions, making it difficult to trace through more than 100 accounts from 20 institutions, including electronic payment platforms.

The Detained

The detainees are considered alleged perpetrators of several crimes of fraud, money laundering and membership of a criminal organization, according to a press release from the Civil Guard, which considers this criminal network, operating from Nigeria, dismantled, using fake profiles on social networks and messaging applications.

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Among the fourteen detainees are several of Nigerian nationality, including some of the main members of this plot, as well as Malian -one of the ringleaders- and Spanish. Among the Spaniards are elderly women, contacted by that criminal organization to facilitate the movement of the money defrauded through more than a hundred bank accounts from 20 different entities. The Civil Guard operation took place between February and May of this year, with arrests in six Spanish provinces, and has made it possible to recover, so far, about 45,000 euros from the multiple accounts used by the network to launder money through a complex financial network.