Police action strengthens personal data protection against cybercrime

At the end of 2025, the National Police arrested a 19-year-old man in the province of Barcelona. The investigation began months earlier, after personal data was found exposed on dark web forums. The authorities began searching for the source of the compromised information and tracking online activities based on these alerts. 

The National Police claim that the arrested individual stole and sold more than 60 million pieces of personal data from at least nine different companies. The information extracted included data such as names and surnames, ID numbers, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and even bank details such as IBANs. According to the investigation, the young man used different pseudonyms and accounts to sell this information on specialized forums on the dark web, making money through cryptocurrencies. When agents searched his home, they seized computer equipment and closed digital wallets that were allegedly linked to the criminal activity.

The case is currently in the judicial stage, with the detainee at the disposal of the relevant authority and under investigation for crimes against privacy, discovery and disclosure of secrets, and computer damage. Security forces are continuing to examine the confiscated material to establish the full extent of the events and whether there are other individuals involved. It is hoped that the investigation will clarify the possible consequences of the case and strengthen security measures in the companies that were affected.