Civil Guard officers in the Balearic Islands have returned €200,000 to a victim after it was stolen using a ‘Man in the middle’ scheme. The operation was made possible thanks to the coordinated efforts of cybercrime units, which immediately began searching for the funds upon receiving the report.
The incident occurred after the perpetrators sent an email posing as the accountant of a company the victim worked with, specifying a new bank account for payment. A few days after receiving the message, the victim transferred €200,000 to the provided account details.
On the same day the fraud was discovered, the victim contacted the police. The Civil Guard quickly identified the location of the account where the funds had been sent. The money was still there, which allowed them to block the transfer and return the amount to its owner.
The ‘Man in the middle’ scheme involves criminals impersonating a trusted person within an organization, such as a manager, supplier, or client. Their goal is to convince the victim to transfer money to accounts under their control. To prevent such attacks, experts advise companies to implement double-check procedures for payments.
Experts emphasize that the sooner a report is filed, the higher the chance of recovering the funds. Prompt action enables cybersecurity specialists to trace the movement of money and block it before it leaves the country.
Since the beginning of 2024, Civil Guard units specializing in the investigation of such crimes have returned a total of more than 4.3 million euros to victims in the Balearic Islands. Efforts to combat cyber fraud are ongoing.
