> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 16 Barcelona Buffets Caught in Electricity Fraud - URL: https://barna.news/16-barcelona-buffets-caught-in/ - Published: 2026-10-09T08:04:09.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-09T08:04:09.000Z - Description: Endesa investigation reveals widespread power theft at new all-you-can-eat restaurants promoted on social media. - Author: Barna.News - Tags: crime, Trending Now ## False Meters and Hidden Cables Uncovered Sixteen restaurants in Barcelona and its surrounding area have been found to have committed electricity fraud, according to an investigation by Endesa's Fraud Unit, to which EL PERIÓDICO had access. The establishments, many of them newly opened all-you-can-eat buffets, used deceptive methods to avoid or reduce their electricity bills, including operating without a contract, tampering with meters, or installing illegal second connections. Investigators analysed 25 suspicious power supplies after detecting extravagant social media promotions on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. On-site inspections were carried out at 19 locations, and fraudulent activity was confirmed in 16\. Although none remain active in fraud, two were forced to close following inspections, including an Argentinean meat buffet on Roger de Flor street in Barcelona. ## Methods of Deception The three main fraud techniques identified were: operating without any electricity supply contract; tampering with meters, commonly known as 'pinched electricity'; and installing a 'double connection', an illegal secondary power line hidden, for example, behind a false ceiling. This last method is particularly hard to detect because the premises have a functioning official meter while diverting part of the energy flow outside the metered system. Technicians confirmed that all cases showed a deliberate intent to defraud, posing serious safety risks to customers in often crowded venues. Endesa manages 95% of the electricity market in Catalonia, giving it a central role in identifying and investigating such cases. ## Social Media as a Fraud Indicator The investigation highlights how social media has become a key signal in detecting fraud. Grandiose promotional posts, such as 'free all-you-can-eat buffet in Barcelona' or 'unlimited sushi, very popular', were used to attract large crowds to venues that were not paying for the power needed to operate them. While the restaurants have since regularized their electricity contracts, the case underscores a broader pattern in Catalonia: 67% of electricity fraud occurs in commercial, tourism, and industrial sectors, while 33% is linked to marijuana cultivation. --- ## Marijuana Cultivation and Energy Theft Marijuana plantations remain a significant source of electricity theft. In 2024 alone, 490 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity were defrauded across Catalonia. Of that, 162 GWh were attributed to cannabis cultivation. That amount could power a city the size of Gavà or Esplugues de Llobregat for a full year. Municipalities with the highest levels of cultivation-related fraud include Igualada, Sabadell, Premià de Dalt, Terrassa, Lloret de Mar, Matadepera, and Sant Cugat del Vallès. Barcelona City Council conducts its own targeted inspections, including monthly checks on 24-hour supermarkets in Eixample and preventive checks on shops and terraces along La Rambla during its ongoing redevelopment. These efforts complement Endesa's investigations, which rely on both data analysis and physical inspections. ### Named Locations - A Japanese and a Korean restaurant on Mallorca and Diputació streets in Eixample, Barcelona - Two Asian restaurants in the Badalona Sud industrial estate - An Argentinean meat buffet on Roger de Flor street, Barcelona --- *Reported by elperiodico.com, El Periódico Barcelona.* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [Updated: Three Evictions Set in Sant Cugat This Month](https://barna.news/three-evictions-set-in-sant-cugat-this/) - [Fraudsters Impersonate Electric Technicians in Santa Coloma](https://barna.news/fraudsters-impersonate-electric/) - [Three Held Over Terrassa Shooting of Civil Guards](https://barna.news/three-held-over-terrassa-shooting-of/) - [Orange Store Looted in Sant Cugat Break-In](https://barna.news/orange-store-looted-in-sant-cugat-break/)