The Civil Guard of Costa Teguise has arrested, within the framework of operation 'Cleverest', a man and a woman residing in Lanzarote, 31 and 24 years old respectively, as alleged perpetrators of an Internet scam of more than 12,000 euros and a crime of usurpation of civil status. The arrests took place on February 21. According to the armed institute, it was the victim's bank that notified him, at the beginning of last February, of a series of suspicious movements in his bank accounts and savings deposits.
After being alerted, the victim examined the bank movements in more detail and was able to verify that they were not authorized by him and that they had been carried out through telematic means. Thanks to the investigations carried out by the Judicial Police, it was verified that M.M.U.G. and Z.I.H.E. took advantage of a prior friendship with the victim to obtain his bank details and make bank transfers from his accounts and savings to two accounts held by the detainees.
In the course of the investigation, which was carried out over several weeks, it was also possible to prove that one of the alleged perpetrators of the events obtained personal documentation from the victim to "perfect contracts with credit institutions and telecommunications companies, obtaining credit cards, loans and a high-end mobile phone, all charged to the victim's bank accounts".
Crime of usurpation of civil status
After the arrest, the detainees were brought before the Arrecife duty court. The Civil Guard recalls that impersonating another person, providing someone else's documentation to formalize contracts in their name or perform any act without their consent, may constitute a crime of usurpation of civil status, punishable by up to three years in prison according to article 401 of the Penal Code.
In addition, citizens are advised to be informed, to request invoices for repairs and purchases made and not to pay for services in advance in order to avoid this type of fraud. Also, do not carry large amounts of cash and use credit cards.
It is also advisable to beware of any technician who appears without prior notice and wants money urgently. It is also recommended not to offer bank details over the network and to use at least two email addresses.
Finally, they ask citizens who are victims of a crime to report it to the Police or Civil Guard as soon as possible.
