Desmantelada banda estafadora de coches de segunda mano

The Civil Guard and the National Police have arrested twelve individuals who were part of a criminal organization dedicated to scamming through the publication of false car sales ads on internet portals for buying and selling.

So far, both bodies have reported that 175 victims have been identified, who have suffered an economic loss of over 380,000 euros, with efforts ongoing to identify more affected individuals.

The investigation began when authorities received multiple reports of scams in the sale of second-hand vehicles. Upon analyzing the information, they discovered the existence of a criminal organization that had been operating since January 2024.

The group specialized in posting false ads for used vehicles, without the consent of the legitimate owners, on online marketplaces and e-commerce platforms at prices significantly below market value.

Upon contact from victims, they demanded to continue the conversation through a messaging app where they requested one or more transfers as a deposit for the cars, along with a photo of their ID under the false pretext of formalizing a sales contract.

In return, the scammers sent photos of the personal documents of the supposed seller, using the identity of another individual previously scammed by the organization.

If they were unable to deceive the victims, they resorted to threatening them with further scams using their identities.

69 phone lines operating 24/7

To give more credibility to the scam, they made multiple calls from different phone numbers by various individuals pretending to be from different departments of the same company.

Investigators discovered up to 69 phone lines operating 24/7 to handle buyer inquiries promptly, functioning as a ‘call center’.

To finalize the supposed transaction, they provided counterfeit contracts to buyers, impersonating the corporate identity of a well-known vehicle sales company.

As the investigation progressed, authorities found that the criminal organization had a pyramidal structure led by eight individuals responsible for collecting money, based in various locations in Madrid.

Under their command, there was another layer to manage bank accounts, receiving fraudulent money from victims in exchange for a commission. They then moved the money through different accounts and, at times, purchased high-end technology products and luxury items like jewelry and watches.

On May 20, a operation was conducted to search and raid 13 residences in the Madrid towns of Alcalá de Henares (9), Torrejón de Ardoz (1), Anchuelo (2), and Cobeña (1). This resulted in the arrest of 12 individuals, including the leaders of the scheme and money collectors responsible for cashing out the defrauded funds through ATMs.

They are accused of crimes including membership in a criminal organization, fraud, identity theft, document forgery, and money laundering. After being brought before the judiciary, six of the arrested individuals were remanded in provisional custody.

During the raids, over 73,000 euros, four vehicles, 20 high-end televisions and sound systems, 75 mobile phones, 32 SIM cards, numerous bank cards, two electric scooters, three replicas of long firearms, three airsoft pistols, and other prohibited weapons were seized. Additionally, 81 bank accounts in the names of the main suspects were frozen.