Ninth arrest for Internet fraud

LA LÍNEA (Agencies) Spain is well behind the rest of Europe in the numbers related to buying and selling online: the following story could be one reason why: J.M.T., aged 23, was arrested this week for fraud on the Intenet for the fifth time. He is accused of fraud, identity theft and using false documents. There are 43 charges against him, amounting to €102,220 and he is believed to be the head of the gang arrested with him by the National Police: D.G.D., his female partner, 20; I.G.G., 21, and F. J. V. J., 22. A minor was also arrested, who is now detained at a juvenile centre in Algeiras. The National Police says the investigaion was long and arduous because of their modus operandi.>
JMT used a real name and a real ISP (Internet Service Provider) address, which belonged to an unfortunate man in Antequera, who had also been the victim of fraud by JMT but his ID card was lost or stolen a year ago. As a result of having had his ientity stolen, this man is obliged to travel to wherever he is summoned to court to prove he is not the one committing the crimes now attributed to JMT; he also has to pay for his own lawyers.

The way the gang worked depened on wheher they were acting as buyers or sellers, although they always used the same website, Milanuncios.com. As buyers, they would allegedly agree a price with the seller, then send a false payment slip to th agred amount, at which point the seller sent the item by mail, only to find that in the end there was no item and no money.

As sellers they supposedly offered items for sale, receive payment but never deliver them.

Complaints came in from all over the ountry, for a variety of articles that included a Nikon camera, a Yamaha motorbike (valued at €500), a bulldog (€250) and a speedboat (€14,000) , among many others. The common thread was that poor man in Antequera - and an IPS address that belonged to JMT's girlfriend. Investigation also revealed the involvement of FJVJ, who had ben detained by the same unit of the National Police in August for the same offences.

The National Police note points out that on the five occasions they have arrested this fraudster, he has been let "free with charges", including this last time. The other four arrests were made by the Guardia Civil, for the same reasons and with the same results.