Spanish Guardia Civil recovers €150,000 after romance scam victim sent €162,000 to supposed partner

Spain’s Guardia Civil recovered €150,000 after a romance scam victim transferred €162,000 to a supposed partner met through an app.

Spain’s Guardia Civil has recovered 150,000 euros after a victim of a romance scam transferred a total of 162,000 euros to a supposed partner met through an application.

According to El País, the relationship began in January 2026. The victim later filed a complaint at the Guardia Civil station in Arroyomolinos, Madrid, which allowed investigators to trace the destination of the funds and act quickly.

Agents first managed to block 6,000 euros. They then recovered another 144,000 euros, which has already been returned to the victim. In total, 150,000 euros of the money sent was recovered.

The investigation led officers to Massamagrell, in Valencia, where the alleged scammer had reportedly used the money to buy construction materials. Authorities believe this was done to launder the money obtained through the scam.

The investigation remains open and is now focused on fully identifying and arresting the person responsible for alleged fraud and money laundering.

This case shows why reporting a romance scam as quickly as possible is essential. When victims contact authorities early, investigators may still be able to trace transfers, block bank accounts and recover part of the stolen money before it disappears.

The Guardia Civil also reminded people not to send money or share financial information with strangers, especially when a relationship begins online and the other person declares love very quickly or avoids video calls.

NoDuble recommends using reverse image search, checking whether profile photos appear elsewhere online, keeping screenshots of conversations and never sending large sums of money to someone you have not met and verified in real life.