A new alert from the state security forces, in this case issued by the Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan autonomous police, who have received 12 reports of theft and have already classified the incident as a “sowing” scam.
The reason is the modus operandi. The thieves look for vulnerable victims, elderly people in most cases, at a time when they are usually quite nervous, which is when they take money out of the cash machine.
Several people stand around them without attracting attention. One of them, when they are withdrawing the money, tells them that they have dropped a note, usually a small one, of five or ten euros. The victim bends down to pick it up and, at that moment, the other thief takes the money from the ATM or the ATM card.
Thefts worth 21,000 euros
According to El Periódico, the suspects used false identities and in three months committed 12 robberies using this method, swindling some 21,000 euros. On one occasion, they made six withdrawals, getting 4,173 euros and on another, 1,000 euros and purchases valued at 3,586 euros.
According to the Mossos, they acted so quickly that they were able to make several withdrawals with the stolen bankbook or card in the time it took the victim to realize what had happened. Four people were arrested on April 25th, two men and two women aged between 19 and 63, although a fifth person is under investigation but has not yet been arrested.
They are accused of theft, bank fraud and belonging to a criminal organization. The suspects, of foreign origin, had the ability to move and act in different locations in a short period of time. The 12 robberies and scams took place in the towns of Argentona, Badalona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Mataró, Girona and Reus.
According to the Mossos, the ‘sowing scam’ requires a great deal of skill, as the thieves must act in a coordinated manner in a very short time and with a very specific victim profile. In addition, other members of the group distract other customers and bank employees to avoid detection and to ensure that no one can be a direct witness.
