At least 54 people were arrested in a joint operation by Spanish and Portuguese police, during which They dismantled a network accused of stealing more than 2.5 million euros from 84 elderly people. via telephone calls in Spain and Portugal.

They were discovered during a police operation. 84 victims of the “vishing” methodin which a man called them, posing as an employee of their bank, and warned that they had discovered a suspicious transaction on their account, which was probably carried out by criminals who wanted to steal their money and valuables.

Once they had convinced the victim, they moved on to the second part of the deception, during which the supposed technician would visit the home, posing as a bank employee or a police officer, and He convinced the victim to give him his bank card and their valuables to take them to a safe place.

The criminal organization was relocated to the city. obstruct a police investigationSo the leaders of the network made the phone calls from Portugal, and the perpetrators of the fraud operated in the Spanish regions of Andalusia and Catalonia.

As representatives of the three police forces involved in the scheme – agents from Catalonia, Spain and Portugal – explained at a joint press conference, the criminal network had stable hierarchical structure with very professional profiles, experience and track record of participating in similar events.

Once the money was received, the cash was hidden in vehicles in Portugal or sent through specialized agencies, and the transfers were received by “mules” who acted as intermediaries and forwarded the money to the top of the organization in Portugal.

To whiten the goods, They bought and sold high-quality products or gold bars.

A total of 54 people were arrested, including seven are already in prison, Among them were three of the organization’s main leaders, who were in Portugal.

Those arrested were charged with belonging to a criminal group.fraud, money laundering and robbery using violence and intimidation.

More than 80 percent of the victims are concentrated in Barcelona and their sphere of influence, and they are all “very vulnerable” people, elderly and lonely.

Vishing is the third type of fraud in Spain and could be exacerbated by Deep Fake, a technique in which criminals use artificial intelligence to imitate another person’s voice.

(EFE)