They defraud 140 bank customers after stealing their wallets on public transport in Madrid and Toledo

The criminals used the stolen documentation to impersonate the identity of the victim in the banking entities The criminal network had pickpockets, people who impersonated the identity and others who offered their accounts for the diversion of funds They stole their wallets while traveling on public transport, and then posing as them in banks, they stole their savings. The National Police has dismantled a criminal group that operated in the provinces of Madrid and Toledo that swindled some 250,000 euros after supplanting the identity of 140 bank customers. According to the General Directorate of the Police, 39 people have been arrested and 281 stolen documents have been recovered, three forged and 20 stolen driving licenses arranged to commit new crimes. The investigation began last January after learning of the existence of an organized group highly specialized in banking and financial scams, including other crimes. The organization of the crime The criminal network had everything very well planned, it even had a group of pickpockets who were dedicated to stealing documents on public transport that they later provided to the organization, who used them to pass themselves off as clients before entities bank accounts and open new accounts or purchase vehicles. At the top of the organization n was the main leader of the plot. Under his immediate command, there were people in charge of obtaining the documentation and its subsequent distribution, as well as the preparation of the work groups that were in charge of acting through the different bank offices. On a lower step was the capture device, which recruited people who acted in bank offices and who came to adopt appearances similar to that of the person they were impersonating. These recruiters also signed up those who provided their bank accounts for the diversion of funds and/or cash withdrawals, mainly disadvantaged people to whom the organization paid in cash or drugs. The first thing the organization did was check the current accounts of the victims by requesting a balance or making a micro-entry. Subsequently, they proceeded to modify the telephone number and email, in such a way that they “hijacked” the account, by having the security communications and use of their electronic banking. Also, upon request of the global situation of the account, they carried out the cash refund or diversion to other accounts controlled by the organization. In turn, they had a network of paid people who immediately took out the maximum possible capital in cash and transferred it to third-party accounts, with the intention of making it difficult the monitoring and traceability of the money in the event that these were blocked, once the victim reported the facts. The organization had the help of other criminals who, through powerful computer equipment, were capable of preparing payroll and work lives , in order to give support and greater credibility to the financial operations that they carried out with the stolen IDs. These operations, not only s They were limited to fraud in banks or contracting online lines of credit, but included illicit vehicle trafficking with the acquisition of high-end cars. After acquiring the cars with financing obtained using the forged documents, they resold them on the black market. from North Africa before the non-payment to the financial companies was discovered and thus avoid possible embargo orders that could block their departure from Spain. One of these vehicles could be recovered when they were about to embark it on a ship bound for Algeria.