Spanish National Police dismantle criminal organisation

Spanish National Police have carried out an operation against cybercrime dedicated to the "son in distress" scam, dismantling an international criminal organisation. Sixty-five arrests have been made in Malaga, Catalonia and Madrid, including the two main leaders of the scheme. During the operation, a laptop with more than 500 spreadsheet files containing personal data of potential victims was seized.

The investigation has led to the clarification of 95 complaints, the victims of which have suffered a financial loss of 410,000 euros. The investigation of potential crimes in other European countries is also ongoing in cooperation with Europol. The authorities have identified 221 individuals as co-operators in the crime, both at national and international level, and the operation is still open to deal with new complaints related to these events.