Twenty-two people, eight of them in Mallorca, have been arrested for phishing - swindling 108,000 euros from 61 individuals.
Those arrested have been charged with belonging to a criminal organisation, fraud, document falsification, and discovery and revelation of secrets (individuals' bank details). The operation began last year after a report was filed with the Guardia Civil in Tavernes de la Valldigna (Valencia) regarding fraud through a mobile payment platform. The gang emulated the web pages of various banks and captured details such as passwords and digital signatures.
Investigators found out that "bank mules" lent their accounts in exchange for financial remuneration. Thirty-four bank accounts were used by the gang and 48 phone numbers. Some of these were in the names of third parties or had false identities.
Arrests were made in different parts of Spain. There were more in Mallorca than elsewhere. The others were - six in Barcelona, three in San Sebastián, two in Oviedo, and one in each of Pamplona, Seville and Tarragona.