“Child in trouble” scam: Three people arrested in Malaga for defrauding a woman of more than 4,000 euros

The National Police of the Costa del Sol have arrested three people in Malaga who are suspected of being responsible for a fraud. They deceived a woman from Albacete by pretending to be her daughter and getting her to transfer 4,032 euros to them.

This type of scam is common and involves people who believe that their children or other family members are contacting them because they are in financial trouble and will then send them the requested money.

This is what happened to a 56-year-old resident of Albacete, who had already made bank transfers to her daughter on other occasions. It was only when she saw her daughter in person again that she realized she had been scammed. She then went to the police station to report the incident and file a complaint.

The scam was carried out by tricking the victim into making two transfers to two different bank accounts, the money was immediately withdrawn from ATMs in Malaga. Another amount of money was transferred to a third bank account, but the transactions on this account were analyzed and it was found that, in a period of five months, 67,801 euros had been received from various types of scams. The scams were mostly of the “child in trouble” and “man between the legs” type, leaving a trail of victims in Benidorm, Cadiz, Coruña, Madrid, Soria and Zaragoza, as well as other locations whose origin has yet to be determined.

The three people involved had previous convictions and were arrested by the National Police in Málaga, where they live. The criminal proceedings were transferred to the courts in Albacete.

Recommended precautions to avoid fraud

– Always be suspicious of anyone who makes urgent demands on you for payment, whether it is a relative or friend in need, your bank or a utility company. Hang up, end the call and check by other means. Do not rely on the phone number shown on the display, as techniques are increasingly being used to disguise the information shown on the caller's phone screen and impersonate the real number of the company in question.

– If you are contacted by message and claim to be a family member, friend or acquaintance, ask them to send an audio message or call so you can recognize the voice. If it is a scammer, they will always come up with an excuse to avoid having to talk to you.

– Be suspicious if you are asked to transfer money to different accounts via wire transfer, to overseas accounts, or to send money directly to multiple phone numbers via apps. Be aware that after the first payment, you will be asked to send more payments again and again under various excuses.

– Remember that even people who voluntarily receive money into their bank account in return for financial compensation may be guilty of fraud, money laundering or membership of a criminal organisation, even if they are not aware of the illegal origin of these transfers.

– Finally, be wary of job offers that promise you quick money, such as financial compensation for opening accounts in your name and transferring money between them. In reality, you are working with a criminal organization and could also be guilty of fraud, money laundering or membership of a criminal gang, crimes punishable by prison.