Four illegal immigrants have been arrested for alleged fraud in connection with the purchase of high-end vehicles in Sevilla, Jaén and Málaga. One of the detainees, who has a history of bank fraud in Andalucía, Valencia and Madrid, was remanded in custody.
The four individuals were arrested after a complaint from the seller of a vehicle in Rincón de la Victoria and this led to the discovery of several similar transactions with the same modus operandi in Dos Hermanas (Sevilla) and Guarromán (Jaén). Police are now trying to ascertain whether there are any more victims of these scammers.
The complainant had agreed to sell his BMW to the individuals for €21,000. The alleged scammers then supposedly placed the money in an envelope and made a deposit via an bank ATM.
The transactions were always carried out on a Friday, which meant the deposit was not verified until the following work day, namely Monday. Meanwhile, the transaction appeared on the account of the seller, pending verification.
Armed with a contract of sale, the buyers took the vehicle. As one might expect, the envelope deposited in the ATM was empty and the transaction was not confirmed by the bank and the seller was left without either a vehicle or money.