The most common computer fraud in Spain and how to protect yourself

Computer fraud has become one of the fastest-growing types of crime in Spain. The digitalisation of everyday life has multiplied the forms of deception, and the most worrying aspect is not only its frequency but its sophistication: today fraudsters are often organised networks that use advanced social engineering and identity theft to deceive even cautious people.

Computer fraud is defined in Article 248 of the Criminal Code, which includes computer fraud as a form of swindling: it punishes anyone who, for profit and by manipulating computer data or systems, obtains a non-consented transfer of assets to the detriment of another. Penalties may be aggravated when the loss exceeds 50,000 euros, when it affects vulnerable persons or when the offences are committed within criminal organisations.

The most frequent forms are several. Phishing consists of emails impersonating a legitimate entity, such as a bank, the Tax Agency or the postal service, in order to obtain data or payments; banks and public authorities never request passwords or banking details by email. Smishing is the same technique by SMS, dangerous because a fraudulent message may appear interspersed with genuine ones from the bank. Vishing is fraud by telephone call, in which the fraudster poses as the bank or the police; a common scenario is to ask for the verification code that arrives on the mobile phone, which in reality authorises a fraudulent transfer.

CEO fraud affects companies: the fraudster poses as an executive and orders the finance department to make an urgent, confidential transfer. Online shopping fraud operates on buying-and-selling platforms, with phantom buyers or sellers. Investment and cryptocurrency fraud attracts the victim with promises of extraordinary returns and disappears when they want to withdraw their money. And romance fraud combines emotional manipulation with a request for money for a supposed emergency.

If you have been a victim of computer fraud, time is critical. Call your bank immediately to report the transfer and request that it be blocked; some banks can reverse it if action is taken quickly. Do not make any further transfers even if you are asked to in order to recover the money, because that is an additional fraud. Preserve all the evidence, such as messages, emails, numbers, URLs and the details of the destination account. File a complaint with the National Police or the Civil Guard, preferably with a specialised unit. And consider appearing as a private prosecution with a lawyer.

Prevention rests on simple habits: never disclose passwords, PINs, verification codes or banking details in response to an email, SMS or call you did not initiate; always verify the web address before entering data; enable two-step authentication; be wary of artificial urgency, which fraudsters create to prevent calm reasoning; and consult someone you trust before any significant transfer arising from an unexpected request.

It is also worth knowing that acting as a money mule, that is, receiving the proceeds of a fraud in your account and transferring them in exchange for a commission, often recruited through fake job offers, can lead to a conviction for money laundering, even without knowing with certainty the origin of the money.