Fake Police Scams in Spain
Criminals impersonating Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil officers coerce Spanish residents into paying fabricated fines or surrendering banking details.
Part of: Fake Police Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Fake police scams take multiple forms in Spain. In the 'police tech-support' variant, a pop-up or call claims to be from Policía Nacional warning that the victim's computer is implicated in a cyber-crime and demands immediate payment to avoid arrest. In vishing attacks, callers claim to be investigating fraud involving the victim's bank account and instruct them to transfer funds to a 'safe account' under police control.
The Policía Nacional regularly posts warnings on its official social media channels about these impersonation tactics, noting that officers never demand payments by phone or request card details to resolve investigations.
How this scam works on Spain
Pop-up versions lock the browser screen with an official-looking badge and state that child-protection or piracy violations have been detected on the device. A phone number purporting to be Policía Nacional Cibercrimen is displayed, and callers are told a fine of €200–€500 must be paid via gift card to avoid prosecution.
In the bank-fraud variant, a caller spoofs a genuine Policía Nacional number and tells the victim their savings are at risk because their bank employee is under investigation. They are instructed to move savings to a named 'secure account' held by the 'Financial Crimes Unit' — which is actually controlled by the criminals.
Elderly Spanish residents are disproportionately targeted in the vishing variant, with criminals sometimes visiting victims' homes posing as plainclothes officers to collect cash.
Common red flags
- Pop-up claiming to be from Policía Nacional locks your screen and demands payment
- Phone caller spoofs a police number and demands a fine paid by gift card or crypto
- Caller instructs you to move money to a 'safe account' to protect it
- Officer asks for your bank card PIN or online banking credentials
- Threat of immediate arrest unless payment is made within minutes
- Caller discourages you from hanging up to verify their identity
How to protect yourself
- Real Spanish police never demand payment by phone or gift card
- If you receive such a call, hang up and call Policía Nacional directly on 091
- Close any browser pop-up with Task Manager — do not call numbers displayed on screen
- Never transfer savings to an 'account' suggested by a phone caller
- Warn elderly family members about this specific fraud pattern
How to report it
- Policía Nacional: 091 (emergency) or denuncias.policia.es
- Guardia Civil: 062 or gdt.guardiacivil.es
- INCIBE: 017 for cybersecurity incident support
Frequently asked questions
Can the real Policía Nacional detect illegal activity on my home computer remotely?
No legitimate law-enforcement agency in Spain sends browser pop-ups demanding fines. Any such pop-up is malware or a browser-based scam. Restart your browser, run antivirus software, and report to INCIBE.