Tourists are on alert after thieves made £16,000 worth of transactions on a British tourist’s phone in Spain.
The robbers allegedly watched the tourist carefully to find out his phone access code before stealing the mobile and using it to make transactions totalling £16,000.
Two suspects aged 19 and 20 of Spanish and Algerian nationalities have been arrested by the Policia Nacional.
The tourist reported the theft to police within hours, not realising his phone had been used to make transfers, payments and request bank loans in his name.
The suspects had a chain operation in which they sent money from one victim’s account to another victim’s, before before moving it to their own accounts, to divert police from tracking down the stolen money.
Police reportedly found that the man’s phone had sent transfers to three men, one being a victim of the operation as well.
The Policia Nacional sent a warning to remain vigilant, reminding people to avoid keying in passwords and code numbers on phones if there are unknown people nearby who could potentially be watching.
Police also recommended using a different password for banking apps in case a device is stolen, so that they can’t access funds.
Tourists were also warned in December by police that empty houses in Spain’s Costa Del Sol were being targeted.
Thieves stole more than €500,000 (£412,500) worth of possessions from one villa in Benahavis, including eight luxury watches and Cartier jewellery.
Spanish police announced on Saturday, January 18 they cracked down on luxury watch theft, having arrested 36 people accused of stealing high-end watches totalling almost €2,000,000 (£1,688,620).
Police confirmed 25 members of the same group, believed to have originated in Naples, Italy, were also identified, and European arrest warrants have been issued.
The investigation began two years ago in collaboration with Italian police to detect Neapolitan criminal organisations, dedicated to the violent thefts of luxury watches.
The investigation, which is still open, revealed the criminal organisation operated in other European countries in addition to Spain.
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