Policía Nacional officers captured entering a building as part of an operation to dismantle a criminal gang involved in selling fake visa appointments for immigration procedures. The operation targeted fraudsters exploiting vulnerable immigrants across Spain.
Credit: Ministerio de Interior, www.interior.gob.es
Officers from the National Police (“Policia Nacional”) have dismantled a criminal enterprise specialising in reselling fake Immigration Office appointments.
The ring was charging between 50 and 90 euros for appointments that did not exist. Police in Valencia arrested two Argentinian nationals for allegedly sabotaging the online appointment system at the Spanish Immigration Office (“Extranjeria”.) The ring allegedly used a bot to hack and block all appointments as soon as they became available online. They apparently then sold fake appointments to unsuspecting foreigners.
The suspects allegedly offered non-existent appointments nationwide using popular messaging and social media apps to communicate with victims. They requested 50 to 90 euro bank transfers in exchange for each appointment.
Several foreign residents reported the issue to the police after they purchased time slots, only to turn up and find out they did not actually have an appointment. They realised they had been the victims of a scam.
Officers searched a property in Valencia, finding €7,290 in cash, several electronic devices used to run the business, and paperwork connected to the appointments.
The Spanish government do not charge for appointments.
This is not the first immigration scam in the area. In 2021, fifteen people were arrested for running an illegal immigration operation in Valencia and Alicante.
Police have warned the public to remain vigilant and only book appointments through official government websites to avoid falling victim to similar scams.
