The Mossos d’Esquadra and the National Police have arrested four people for making purchases online fraudulently using the data of a hundred customers of a telephone company.
According to Mossos, it would be a continuous scam over time and they would have acquired electronic material worth more than 150,000 euros. Through various orders through the website of the telephone company, the alleged perpetrators managed to acquire mobile phones, headphones and smart watches, electric scooters and other objects. At least requests have been accredited between February 2021 and early summer 2023. On July 21, the detainees were made available to the Granollers Court of First Instance and Instruction.
The joint operation between the two police forces was carried out under the supervision of the Court of Instruction number 20 of Barcelona. In the case of the Mossos, the Nou Barris Investigation Unit has participated in the operation.
The alleged perpetrators placed more than a hundred orders with which they managed to fraudulently acquire various telephone terminals, smart headphones, smart watches, electric scooters, and other objects. The defrauded objects caused economic damage to the company amounting to more than 150,000 euros, without counting the damage of other orders that finally could not be delivered.
The investigation began as a result of the complaint by the legal representative of the telephone company in which he stated that he had detected irregularities in the commercial activity of buying and selling mobile phones through his online store. Among this irregular activity there were several fraudulent purchases of both mobile terminals and accessories, usurping the identity of different customers without their knowledge or consent.
Agents specialized in cybercrime established a hotline for the recipient of the packages and managed to identify the alleged perpetrator, who was using the data of people close to him. The principal investigated acted jointly with other people, located in various towns in Vallès Oriental and Barcelona.
Finally, the exploitation of the case was carried out, where the four investigated were arrested. An entry and investigation was also carried out, where it was possible to recover some of the fraudulently acquired objects and material to carry out the criminal activity.
