https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed A Spaniard known as "the man with 2,000 tumours" who lied about having terminal cancer was handed a two-year jail term Monday for scamming donations from thousands, including celebrities. https://www.thelocal.es/20210208/2000-tumour-man-sentenced-for-scamming-spain-donors Mon, 08 Feb 2021 16:46:24 +0100 2000-tumour-man-sentenced-for-scamming-spain-donors Tourists and foreign residents being ripped off is unfortunately nothing new in Spain, especially in some of the big cities and tourist hot spots on the coast. Please share your tips for how to avoid getting into trouble. https://www.thelocal.es/20190523/share-your-tips-how-can-you-avoid-being-ripped-off-when-in-spain Thu, 23 May 2019 16:08:05 +0200 share-your-tips-how-can-you-avoid-being-ripped-off-when-in-spain Police have reminded tourists to be wary about a scam perpetrated by gangs on the promenade in Palma. https://www.thelocal.es/20190514/police-warn-tourists-against-common-scam-in-mallorca Tue, 14 May 2019 17:46:57 +0200 police-warn-tourists-against-common-scam-in-mallorca Scores of budding homeowners on Spain’s biggest Balearic island have been defrauded out of their life savings after putting forward money for apartments that were never built or never existed. https://www.thelocal.es/20180830/ghost-homes-200-buyers-lose-3million-in-majorcas-biggest-real-estate-scam Thu, 30 Aug 2018 12:14:39 +0200 ghost-homes-200-buyers-lose-3million-in-majorcas-biggest-real-estate-scam Spanish police said on Friday that they had smashed a ring that allegedly operated a fake branch of the Vatican Bank and swindled people around the world. https://www.thelocal.es/20180203/spain-smashes-ring-impersonating-vatican-bank Sat, 03 Feb 2018 11:46:47 +0100 spain-smashes-ring-impersonating-vatican-bank Taiwan has protested a decision by Spain to deport more than 200 Taiwanese fraud suspects to China, the latest such deportation amid frosty cross-strait ties. https://www.thelocal.es/20170221/taiwan-protests-over-spain-deportations-to-china Tue, 21 Feb 2017 11:02:33 +0100 taiwan-protests-over-spain-deportations-to-china Spain's top criminal court said Wednesday it had sentenced 11 former executives of stamp firm Afinsa to up to 12 years in jail for their role in a vast scam that ruined thousands of savers. https://www.thelocal.es/20160727/eleven-jailed-in-stamp-scam-one-of-spains-biggest-frauds Wed, 27 Jul 2016 16:46:12 +0200 eleven-jailed-in-stamp-scam-one-of-spains-biggest-frauds Spanish police have busted a gang who have been advertising fake holiday apartments in Barcelona. https://www.thelocal.es/20160726/police-bust-gang-selling-fake-holiday-rentals-in-barcelona Tue, 26 Jul 2016 16:52:52 +0200 police-bust-gang-selling-fake-holiday-rentals-in-barcelona Spanish police said Sunday they hade broken up a crime group suspected of cheating over 8,000 people in over 70 countries of around €25 million ($27 million). https://www.thelocal.es/20160711/spanish-police-smash-global-gps-tracker-scam Mon, 11 Jul 2016 10:23:35 +0200 spanish-police-smash-global-gps-tracker-scam Police have arrested 44 people in Britain and Spain suspected of involvement in a scam to hack into accounts belonging to company bosses and steal thousands of euros, officers said on Friday. https://www.thelocal.es/20160506/spain-smashes-nigerian-ceo-swindle-scammer-network Fri, 06 May 2016 15:42:29 +0200 spain-smashes-nigerian-ceo-swindle-scammer-network Three people have been arrested for using hugs as a cover to rob people in Barcelona. https://www.thelocal.es/20160411/hugger-muggers-arrested-in-barcelona Mon, 11 Apr 2016 13:50:54 +0200 hugger-muggers-arrested-in-barcelona A 68-year-old Spanish widow spent 56 hours on the telephone in the belief that the company she was calling could offer her son a job. https://www.thelocal.es/20160316/spanish-widow-kept-on-hold-for-56-hours-in-phone-scam Wed, 16 Mar 2016 16:53:49 +0100 spanish-widow-kept-on-hold-for-56-hours-in-phone-scam The woman was scammed out of €100,000 believing she was paying her fictitious boyfriend's medical costs. https://www.thelocal.es/20160205/australian-woman-travels-to-spain-to-visit-boyfriend-who-wasnt-real Fri, 05 Feb 2016 13:26:55 +0100 australian-woman-travels-to-spain-to-visit-boyfriend-who-wasnt-real A farmer in Castellón cut off his right hand and staged a car accident to rake in the insurance money. https://www.thelocal.es/20160114/spain-man-gives-right-hand-for-insurance-scam Thu, 14 Jan 2016 13:15:48 +0100 spain-man-gives-right-hand-for-insurance-scam Police have busted a gang that swindled dozens of holidaymakers by advertising luxury villas on the internet that did not actually belong to them. https://www.thelocal.es/20150806/police-bust-marbella-luxury-villa-rental-scam Thu, 06 Aug 2015 18:10:42 +0200 police-bust-marbella-luxury-villa-rental-scam Police in Spain have arrested 52 people alleged to have swindled over €15 million ($19.5 million) from 150,000 self-employed workers and small businesses over a 14-year period by pretending to be official police representatives. https://www.thelocal.es/20140917/52-fake-cops-arrested-in-spain-for-15m-mega-fraud Wed, 17 Sep 2014 16:20:00 +0200 52-fake-cops-arrested-in-spain-for-15m-mega-fraud Spanish police said on Tuesday they have detained a Chinese man wanted for allegedly swindling 40 people in China out of around 17 million euros ($23 million) between 2009 and 2012. https://www.thelocal.es/20140806/chinese-fraudster-stole-17-million-police Wed, 06 Aug 2014 10:55:00 +0200 chinese-fraudster-stole-17-million-police A gang of scammers who are believed to have made up to €100,000 ($134,000) from a fake hotline aimed at eager extras for the hit TV series have been arrested by Spanish police. https://www.thelocal.es/20140730/game-of-thrones-scammers-busted-in-spain Wed, 30 Jul 2014 15:21:00 +0200 game-of-thrones-scammers-busted-in-spain A US citizen wanted by the FBI for allegedly defrauding the US government to the tune of $1.8 million (€1.3 million) has been arrested on the Spanish island of Tenerife. https://www.thelocal.es/20140715/us-fraudster-who-stole-18m-arrested-in-spain Tue, 15 Jul 2014 19:23:00 +0200 us-fraudster-who-stole-18m-arrested-in-spain An off-duty cop found two human fingers, a butcher's knife and a bloodied chopping board in a children's play area; a gruesome discovery which later led Catalan police to unearth a massive insurance scam. https://www.thelocal.es/20140408/cop-unearths-scam-with-two-human-fingers-2 Tue, 08 Apr 2014 12:48:00 +0200 cop-unearths-scam-with-two-human-fingers-2