The Guardia Civil, through its CiberComandancia and with the collaboration of the Aznalcóllar Post (Seville), has clarified several computer fraud crimes using the Business Email Compromise (BEC) method and another of money laundering.
Within the framework of this operation, a fraudulent scheme was detected where the victim transferred 35,000 euros to a bank account controlled by the alleged perpetrators.
The case uncovered another complaint filed by a resident of Arrecife, whose victim was defrauded of 25,000 euros.
The Deception: An Apparently Legitimate Communication
The events began when the victim received an email apparently sent by the management company hired to handle the administrative procedures for the sale of a property.
The message requested a provision of funds of 35,000 euros. Both in the body of the email and in the attached invoice in PDF format, the bank account number to which the transfer should be made was listed. After making the payment, the victim was contacted by the management company, which informed them that they had not received the money.
Upon sending the proof of the transaction, it was verified that the amount had been transferred to a different bank account than the legitimate one.
Checks made it possible to determine that the email and the invoice had been manipulated to replace the original banking details with those of another account, while keeping the sender's address unchanged.
This circumstance made the communication appear authentic and facilitated the victim's transfer.
The Investigation: Tracking the Funds
After filing the corresponding complaint through the Guardia Civil's Electronic Headquarters, the CiberComandancia initiated proceedings to clarify the facts, identify the alleged perpetrator, and determine the destination of the transferred money.
Within the framework of the proceedings, the Aznalcóllar Guardia Civil Post collaborated with the investigators in taking statements, contributing to the development of the actions.
During the course of the proceedings, the investigators became aware of a second case related to similar events, whose victim, a resident of Arrecife (Las Palmas), had suffered an economic loss of 25,000 euros.
After contacting her, they verified that she had already filed a report with another police force, with the CiberComandancia taking over the proceedings to continue clarifying the facts.
The analysis of bank transactions made it possible to reconstruct the fraudulent operation and obtain indications about the flow of funds, as well as about the actions taken to channel the illicitly obtained money.
The investigation has clarified a crime of computer fraud through the BEC modality and another of money laundering.
The corresponding proceedings have been made available to the competent judicial authority in Arrecife (Las Palmas), as it is the initial place where the first actions occurred.
CiberComandancia of the Guardia Civil
The Guardia Civil continues to strengthen its citizen service capabilities in the digital sphere through the consolidation of telematic services that streamline communication and reporting of certain criminal acts.
Through the Electronic Headquarters and the recent creation of the CiberComandancia, citizens are provided with a secure, accessible, and operational channel 24 hours a day for submitting requests for reports related to:
- Scams and fraudulent charges committed through computer means.
- Damage.
- Thefts.
- Theft of vehicles or from within them.
- Loss or location of documentation.
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