Failed crypto scam ends in pursuit and arrest
On the afternoon of 14 September, Catalan regional police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, intervened in a fraudulent transaction involving 418,000 US dollars in cryptocurrency during a luxury watch sale in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district of Barcelona. The victims, who had travelled from the United Kingdom to complete the purchase of nine high-end watches and a diamond-encrusted gold chain, first verified the authenticity of several items at a specialist watchmaker. The exchange was scheduled to take place via cryptocurrency at a café on Carrer de Muntaner. After the victims transferred the digital currency, the suspects claimed they had not received the funds. Despite partial receipt of $1,000 of the agreed $418,000, they seized the watches and chain and fled the premises.
Victims chased, suspect brandished knife
When the victims pursued them through local streets, one suspect was briefly restrained but pulled out a knife to intimidate the victim and escape. This escalated the incident from attempted fraud to robbery with violence and intimidation. A patrol from the Citizen Security Unit responded immediately after an emergency call to 112. They apprehended a 33-year-old British man near Plaça Joaquim Folguera, close to Putxet train station. At the time of arrest, he was found in possession of two luxury watches.
One watch confirmed genuine, investigation ongoing
According to specialist examination, one of the recovered watches has been confirmed as authentic, while checks continue on the origin of the rest of the seized items. The case began as a suspected 'RIP Deal' scam, where fraudsters pose as high-value buyers or sellers online to lure victims into fake transactions for luxury goods. In this instance, investigators believe the suspects never intended to complete the sale.
The Mossos d'Esquadra stress the importance of caution when conducting high-value transactions, especially those involving cryptocurrency and conducted remotely via social media.
The investigation remains open, and police have not ruled out further arrests. The suspect is detained on suspicion of robbery with violence and intimidation.
Advice for high-value transactions
The Mossos recommend verifying goods in person through certified professionals, avoiding cryptocurrency for private luxury sales, and completing such deals in secure, public environments with third-party oversight. Full safety guidance is available on the Mossos d'Esquadra official website.
Primary sources: mossos.gencat.cat, dsp.interior.gencat.cat. Reported by estrelladigital.es, elcaso.elnacional.cat, laciutat.cat, moncloa.com, larazon.es, barcelonapress.com, elconfidencial.com, CatalunyaPress.es, totbarcelona.cat, cronicaglobal.elespanol.com, Metrópoli, antena3.com.
