An unusual scam has been uncovered in Granada, where a 94-year-old local resident fell victim. The man had a daily habit of having breakfast at the same café near his home. Over two years, this simple routine ended up costing him more than 22,000 euros.
The owner of the establishment, now 57 years old, devised a scheme that allowed him to regularly charge the elderly customer’s bank card amounts far exceeding the price of a usual breakfast. Each time the pensioner paid, he was asked to hand over his card under the pretext that the terminal had no signal on the terrace. In reality, once inside, a staff member would carry out extra transactions, discreetly raising the final amount.
At first, the sums were relatively small — about 30 euros, but over time, the scammer’s appetite grew. Towards the end of the two-year period, individual charges reached as much as 400–450 euros in a single transaction. The pensioner didn’t notice anything suspicious right away: he trusted the staff and didn’t check his bank statements. It was only when relatives flagged the unusual spending that the systematic fraud became clear.
An investigation uncovered dozens of transactions that didn’t match the cost of the orders. The total loss amounted to more than 22,000 euros. After the suspect was detained, the court ordered him to be held in custody for one year and four months. Now, the man will have to answer for his actions before the law.
