Civil servant and his partner arrested for defrauding foreigners seeking to obtain residency on Costa del Sol

The suspects managed to swindle victims out of a total of at least 12,000 euros in the scam

María José Díaz Alcalá

Monday, 31 March 2025, 16:35

Spain's National Police force has uncovered a case of corruption in Torremolinos involving a civil servant and his partner, who posed as a fake accountant. Through a well-planned scam, they managed to swindle at least 12,000 euros out of foreigners who were applying for Spanish residency.

Officers were alerted to the case after an individual went to the civil registry with the intention of checking that their documentation was in order. They discovered that one of the suspects - the one working for the government - would provide foreigners with appointments to apply for their nationality documents. However, he always provided delayed appointments, causing the process to expire and cause anxiety and uncertainty among the victims.

As an alternative and, often, only solution, he recommended the services of a fake accountant (his partner), who could presumably help them. The latter charged them to suspend the expiry date and gave them fake documents. To do this, he arranged meetings with the victims in public and discreet places, not at the official headquarters.

According to the investigation, over 400 people had completed the process under these suspicious circumstances. Officers have been able to contact many of the victims, but they believe that the actual scope might be bigger. The authorities have assured the affected parties that their Spanish residency is not at risk.

During the search of the suspects' homes, the investigators seized several electronic devices. In addition, they are investigating another public employee on suspicion that she might have been an accomplice.

The suspects are charged with the crimes of bribery, false documentation and professional intrusion.

Top 50

Esta funcionalidad es exclusiva para registrados.

Reporta un error en esta noticia