Seven men were arrested in San Adrià de Besòs, Barcelona province, following a large-scale police operation. They are accused of being part of an organized group that used SIM card swapping to steal large sums of money from bank accounts across several regions of Spain. Victims include residents of Galicia—the cities of A Coruña, Ferrol, and Marín—as well as Madrid, Valladolid, Zaragoza, Jerez de la Frontera, Arrecife, Melilla, and other cities.
The investigation began after a resident of A Coruña discovered €9,500 missing from his account. Soon, it emerged that similar schemes had been carried out in other cities. The criminals followed a well-established method: after gaining access to victims’ personal data, they convinced mobile operators to transfer the phone number to a new SIM card in their possession.
After that, the scammers gained full control over the victim’s phone number. This allowed them to intercept SMS with verification codes sent by banks and other services for logging in and confirming transactions. With this access, the perpetrators issued new credit cards in the victim’s name, made transfers, and withdrew cash from ATMs—without arousing suspicion from banking systems.
How the criminal group operated
To carry out their scheme, the group used social engineering techniques. They carefully gathered personal information about potential victims — from passport details to answers to security questions. Once they had the necessary data, they contacted mobile operators, posing as the owners of the numbers, and managed to get the SIM cards reissued. This gave them access to banking apps, email, and social networks.
The investigation uncovered at least 16 incidents linked to this group. In each case, the losses amounted to thousands of euros. Victims reported that they didn’t notice the missing money right away, as the scammers worked quickly and discreetly, leaving no traces until the funds had already been withdrawn.
Scope and consequences of the crimes
The group’s activities spanned 12 cities across the country. In addition to Galicia and Catalonia, attacks were recorded in Castilla y León, Madrid, Andalusia, Extremadura, Aragón, the Canary Islands, and Melilla. In every region, the criminals used similar methods, which allowed police to combine the cases into a single investigation.
As a result of the operation, all seven suspects were detained in Catalonia. They are charged with fraud, illegal access to bank accounts, and theft of personal data. Investigators are now trying to determine whether the group had accomplices in other regions and how many more cases remain unsolved.
Experts note that such schemes are becoming increasingly common in Spain. Residents are advised to closely monitor their banking transactions and to respond immediately to any suspicious activities related to mobile communications and account access.
