Police have arrested three people in the break-up of a gang that allegedly operated an elaborate ‘phishing’ scam to get the passwords of people whose smartphones or tablets had been stolen, so they could then re-set the stolen devices and sell them on the black market.
The Sevilla-based gang’s victims were in Málaga, Cádiz, Córdoba and Madrid as well as Sevilla, said National Police officials.
The investigation was launched following a police complaint filed in Málaga by a man whose phone was stolen at the Sevilla fair last year, and who later received a message saying his phone had been recovered but his user name and password were required in order to unblock it.
A lengthy investigation led to the alleged culprits, who police say operated a sales and repair shop for mobile phones and computers that served as a front for receiving stolen phones and tablets.