Valencia Region, Spain – Authorities have dismantled a criminal network accused of defrauding hundreds of people through a scam in which victims were tricked into believing their children urgently needed money.

The group is alleged to have taken nearly three million euros, targeting around 500 victims across different parts of Spain.

The scheme relied on mass text messages sent to mobile phones, pretending to be close family members who had changed their number and urgently requested bank transfers.

A coordinated police operation involved thirteen raids and searches across the Valencia region and the Balearic Islands, leading to ten arrests.

Six of those detained have been sent to prison and face accusations including involvement in a criminal organization, fraud, and money laundering.

During the searches, officers seized 20 luxury vehicles, multiple items of jewelry, and large amounts of cash.

Victims included elderly people and individuals with mobility difficulties, some of whom were even offered transport to banks to complete the transfers.

Investigations began in May after several complaints were received through an official police website.

Authorities reviewed more than 500,000 records linked to the group’s activity, including messages, calls, and financial transactions.

The network operated through numerous phone lines and bank accounts to hide its movements and worked in a structured system with clearly assigned roles.

Its main base was located in a property in Bétera, in the Camp de Túria region, where the frauds were coordinated and proceeds were passed on for laundering.

Some of the profits, including up to 100,000 euros in a single morning, were allegedly cleaned through business activities connected to luxury vehicle rentals in Ibiza during the summer season.

Officials also found that lower-level individuals were used to receive transfers and cash, while the main organizers stayed hidden behind a layered structure.

Investigators say the suspects maintained a high standard of living funded by the proceeds of the scam.

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