Barcelona province is at the centre of a Guardia Civil investigation into an alleged online scam involving second-hand construction materials. Two residents are being probed after a buyer in León province reported losing money on fences and scaffolding advertised online.
The practical warning for Barcelona buyers and sellers is immediate, keep sales on the platform, avoid moving chats to messaging apps, and use secure payment methods. According to the Guardia Civil, the complaint was handled through its Electronic Headquarters and the On-Red system, which is the National Office for Electronic Complaint Reception.
How the alleged scam worked
According to the Guardia Civil, the seller persuaded the buyer to leave the platform chat and continue on a messaging app, then asked for immediate payment through a mobile payment system. The bank details given to the buyer belonged to a third person, whom the seller said was a partner who would handle delivery.
What officers say happened next
After the payment was made, the buyer was blocked on all channels. The same advert was then reposted under a different profile, which led the victim to suspect fraud and report it. The Guardia Civil says its CiberComandancia team opened proceedings and asked for a preventive block on the receiving bank account.
What Barcelona readers should do
Technical analysis of the messages and tracing of the money flow led officers to identify the two alleged perpetrators, who live in Barcelona province, according to the Guardia Civil. Agents from the Guardia Civil post in Mollet del Vallès handled the investigation before passing the case and documents to the courts.
For people in Barcelona, the safest next step is to keep the conversation and payment inside the sales platform, check who is asking for the money, and be wary if a seller pushes for speed or a move off-platform. For more local coverage, see our Community page.
Originally published by Europa Press Barcelona. Read the original report at Europa Press Barcelona. For the Guardia Civil’s own services, see the Guardia Civil’s Electronic Headquarters and the Guardia Civil website.
