Notes from Spain – Fraudster found

In news reports here in Spain, it’s often the case that apprehended criminals are not identified by name, though sometimes we’re given his or her initials in a newspaper article. I imagine it was particularly difficult for the authorities to name a fraudster they caught since they might be wondering which alias is actually his real name!

Wikipedia commons

The fraudster in question has more than 100 previous convictions and 20 warrants for arrest, but for the last six years the police couldn’t locate him!  The litany of his crimes: fraud, domestic abuse, slander, libel, assaulting an officer of the law, making threats, causing injuries, violating a sentence, electricity fraud, identity theft, harassment, falsifying public documents and failure to turn himself in to prison. (I’m puzzled by that last one, I must admit! Shouldn’t he be under arrest and taken to prison?)

A lengthy investigation and a stakeout finally located his house, which was surrounded with security cameras. When the police raided the place, it seemed empty – but there was a secret hideaway, a control centre for scanning the grounds. He was found hiding behind a sofa – nobody knows if he might have been watching an early Dr Who DVD.

His crimes also involve the internet, with numerous fake profiles on social networks. Some of his profiles stated he was the president of a computing multinational, a UN inspector and a politician. He had more than 40,000 followers.

He set up web pages that provided cover for his scams. The fake company websites contained plaudits from other businesses and national press, also of dubious authenticity.

A certain number of his violent and threatening behaviour are related to victims who discovered his fraud.

He was rarely seen in public, for obvious reasons.

He’s now in custody.

There’s probably potential for a story in there!