The Guardia Civil has launched an investigation into a 24-year-old man and identified another suspect, currently at large, both in Almería (mainland Spain), as alleged perpetrators of a "Man in the Middle" cyber fraud, which has led to a loss of €14,124 for a victim in Fuerteventura.
According to the Guardia Civil’s press release, the fraudsters exploited a sophisticated method to intercept email exchanges between two collaborating businesses. By stealthily modifying the content of the communications, they orchestrated the fraud.
How Does "Man in the Middle" Fraud Work?
The perpetrators infiltrated the email correspondence between the two companies and altered the details of an invoice. They replaced the legitimate banking information with their own, creating a seamless illusion that misled the paying company into transferring €14,000 directly to their accounts.
The "Equipo@" online division of the Guardia Civil in Fuerteventura spearheaded the investigation, meticulously analysing the emails associated with the fraud, including those used by the criminals to impersonate the victim. This led to the identification of two suspects in Almería. One is under investigation, while the other remains unlocated.
Public Caution
The Guardia Civil urges businesses and individuals to remain vigilant against cyber fraud, particularly schemes involving email communication.
They recommend verifying banking details directly with trusted contacts before making significant payments and implementing robust cybersecurity measures to prevent such attacks.
