Man Arrested in Barcelona for Selling Fake Immigration Appointments

An individual offered fraudulent services for obtaining prior appointments for residency permits, posing as an administrative agent.

Generic image of a fake appointment document.
IA

Generic image of a fake appointment document.

The National Police have arrested a man in Barcelona accused of fraudulently selling fake appointments for immigration procedures, posing as the head of an administrative consultancy.

The detainee, who has several outstanding judicial warrants from courts across Spain, contacted victims through social media and WhatsApp. He advertised himself as a consultancy specializing in obtaining prior appointments for residency permit renewals, providing falsified confirmation documents.
The affected individuals, who were in vulnerable situations, paid 67.50 euros for each supposed appointment. In some instances, the detainee claimed banking issues to suggest the payment had not been received, requesting further payments. He later simulated having returned the money with fake transfer receipts to avoid claims.
The police investigation led to the man's arrest, facing charges of fraud and document forgery. Victims discovered the scam when they contacted the police to verify the validity of their appointments.