PROPERTY SEARCH

Date Published: 08/06/2022

ARCHIVED - British man arrested in Murcia for defrauding 25 other Brits applying for residence permits and driving licences

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

The UK citizens were duped into paying nearly 8,000 euros for vital Spanish paperwork to be submitted by another Brit, which he never did

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - British man arrested in Murcia for defrauding 25 other Brits applying for residence permits and driving licences

Police in Spain have arrested a 33-year-old British man in Molina de Segura, Murcia, after he was identified as the alleged perpetrator of a scam that targeted at least 25 other British citizens involving the fraudulent processing of residence permits.

The detainee is accused of committing an alleged offence of fraud and another of false documentation for these acts.

According to police sources, the investigation began when a married couple, both from the United Kingdom, went to the Single Office for Foreigners (Oficina Única de Extranjeros) in Murcia. The couple, both residents of Molina de Segura, alleged that several months ago they had paid money to a consultancy firm run by a Brit in the town to apply for a foreigner’s identity card (TIE, or Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero).

The couple were told by this agency that their card was at the Foreigners Office awaiting collection, but staff there assured them that nothing had been processed.

It was at this point that National Police officers began to investigate. The investigations determined that there were several other British citizens who had experienced the same problem. Some had also had trouble with the agency when trying to exchange their British driving licences for Spanish licences, or when sorting out health insurance, in some cases paying large sums of money for these services.

The officers in charge of the investigation were able to identify the owner of the consultancy as the main suspect and a compatriot of his who had been living in Spain for years and had gained the trust of his victims.

The man also extended his radius of action to Alicante, where, through another consultancy in the town of Pinoso, he advertised to find other Brits in need of residency services and other official paperwork.

In total there are 25 victims identified by police who have paid a total of 7,859 euros for these procedures, the majority of which were never carried out by the con artist.

The investigation continues as a total of 493 cases have been identified which, according to police officers, could be victims of this same scammer.

If you suspect you may have been affected by this scam too, or know someone who has, you can reach out to us at [email protected]
For help applying for your residence permit in Spain or doing other paperwork, contact one of these trusted, English-speaking consultancy services

Image: Policía Nacional

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