Judicial Police units of the Civil Guard, within the framework of operation “Magictheft”, have arrested 12 people belonging to a criminal organization specialized in committing cryptocurrency scams in different establishments.
The detainees had managed to carry out 20 fraudulent operations in Barcelona, ??Tarragona, Girona and Valencia, as well as Dubai, in which they swindled more than 50,000 euros in cryptocurrencies, adapting a well-known modus operandi to new technologies.
The value of the assets and accounts blocked from members of the organization amounts to 40,000 euros, the Civil Guard reported in a statement.
In the operation, the agents verified that the members of the organization appeared in establishments open to the public in the provinces of Barcelona, ??Tarragona and Valencia, with the intention of withdrawing cash funds from a transfer, previously made.
The way this organization acted was that one of its members entered an establishment and told the store clerk that he had sent the amount of 2,500USDT (stable coin), the actual amount sent being 2,500USDT.
Through deception, they managed to prevent the clerk from realizing that the transfer was made in the Anglo-Saxon numeral system, and the clerk proceeded to give them 2,500 euros in cash (maximum amount allowed), depositing the rest of the USTD in wallets controlled by the organization.
With this method, they carried out a total of 20 fraudulent operations in Barcelona, ??Tarragona, Girona and Valencia, as well as Dubai (United Arab Emirates), where the limits for operating with cash are higher, even attempting to carry out an operation of 100,000 euros. .
Once the scam was committed, the victims realized what had happened at the end of their work day, when when the money was counted it did not match the transfers received.
For this reason, 12 members of the organization between 19 and 49 years old and of Ukrainian, Russian, Kazakh and Moldovan nationality were arrested in the provinces of Girona, Barcelona and Valencia.
The Civil Guard has recalled the importance of cybersecurity when using digital media and recommends taking extreme precautions when making bank transfers, since they are irrevocable without the consent of the beneficiary, as established by payment services legislation.
When operating with cryptocurrencies, the difference in value must be taken into account, which can be misleading when making transactions.
The operation has been developed by the Computer and Technological Crime Teams (EDITE) of the Judicial Police of the Civil Guard in Valencia and has had the support of the international police cooperation agencies, EUROPOL and INTERPOL.
In addition, the investigation has been coordinated by the Valencia Computer Crime Prosecutor’s Office.
