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In an operation dubbed «Dania» the Civil Guard and municipal police in Bilbao, Spain, arrested four people and investigated seven others accused of using «carding» to fraudulently purchase high-tech products, which they then sent and sold in Morocco.
Carding refers to the use of stolen card data to carry out fraudulent transactions. The perpetrators obtain the data through programs or websites.
The investigation began in November 2023 when the Guardia Civil received a tip from the owner of a mobile phone distribution company in Valencia. The complainant reported receiving several online orders for expensive cell phone devices, totaling €9,490, which were to be sent to the provinces of Biscay and Barcelona.
His payment services provider informed him that these transactions were suspicious. Later, a Danish citizen emailed the complainant, stating that unknown individuals had used her bank card to make purchases from his store and demanding that the sale be canceled and the amount refunded.
The defendants used the stolen data to purchase high-value technology products, particularly cell phones, which sell quickly on the second-hand market and retain their value.
Investigators discovered that two fraudulently obtained cell phones were used with Moroccan lines. Most of the phones were found to have not been activated in Spain, suggesting they were smuggled to other countries for illegal use or resale.
The total amount defrauded is estimated to exceed €91,500, including canceled or returned orders.
The investigation revealed that the criminal organization used more than 100 fraudulent bank cards, 13 different phone lines, and involved 11 individuals and five facilities to receive the shipments.
