A scam in the online sale of socio-sanitary products arrives in Ferrol in the middle of the pandemic

LUGO, 24 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Civil Guard, within the framework of ‘Operation Muñir’, has charged as an investigated a 23-year-old resident of Madrid as the alleged perpetrator of two crimes of continued fraud, against moral integrity and usurpation of civil status, for simulating the online sale of protection and hygienic-sanitary products in the midst of a pandemic. About twenty victims have been located from various locations, including Ferrol.

As reported by the Armed Institute, as a result of citizen collaboration, it was learned of the sale through the Market of a well-known social network of products that can be used for the prevention, cleaning and disinfection of infectious contagious diseases.

The same sources have indicated that products were offered to protect against the infection of the coronavirus covid-19 (FFP2 and FFP3 masks, alcohol and hydroalcoholic gel in containers of different capacities, boxes of nitrile gloves and disposable gowns, protective glasses).

In addition, they have indicated that conducting sales negotiations through various instant messaging applications, using for some of them a prepaid card registered with a false identity.

“The person under investigation was previously engaged in the commission of scams, offering false sales of clothing and footwear through social networks and from the declaration of the state of alarm is when, taking advantage of the need and concern generated by the health situation due to to the Covid-19 pandemic, and given the increase in demand for various personal protection and sanitary hygiene products that the market suffered, it reconverts the previous fraud towards protection materials against the pandemic and begins to publish this type of products “, underlined the Benemérita.

In this way, he tried to “cause sufficient deception” in the victims and “consummate the scam by taking advantage of the collective fear created at the beginning of the pandemic”, the same sources have abounded.

When the victims, all vulnerable people due to their state of health in the face of the pandemic, a situation that had been revealed to them in the course of the negotiations for the sale of the products, they suspected of having been the object of a scam and demanded the products, in some cases came to the plea for their peremptory need, considering them essential for their personal and family protection, “began to threaten both potential customers and other close family members who expected to receive the products, all with total contempt and lack of empathy towards them “, stressed the Civil Guard.

Likewise, “he boasted to seniors of his supposed impunity” before the Justice, have indicated the same sources, having provided them with false information regarding their true identity. The individual sent a low-quality photograph of the DNI of another person whose identity was usurped and he relied on the anonymity provided by the network.

This person he was engaged in street vending and he alternates his residence between several cities, which made his location difficult, the same sources have admitted.

March

The investigated events took place throughout March and to date 20 victims have been identified in the towns of Manzanares (Ciudad Real), Madrid, Denia (Alicante), Sanlucar de Barrameda (Cádiz), Fuenlabrada (Madrid), Alhaurin el Grande (Málaga), Montizón (Jaén), Ferrol, Mollet del Vallés (Barcelona), Valdetorres (Badajoz), Almuñecar (Granada) and Málaga.

The investigation remains open and no more victims are ruled out. Meanwhile, the investigator has been placed at the disposal of the Investigating Court of the Plaza de Castilla, in Madrid.