Fraud Continues to Rise in Alicante as National Police Warn of Artificial Intelligence Use

The National Police have raised concerns about the increasing fraud cases in Alicante, a crime that, according to spokesperson Cristian Plazas, "has been growing year after year and affects all citizens indiscriminately." The rise, he claims, is "very significant" and largely due to the boom in technological and telematic means, which facilitate criminal activities.

Plazas explained that during the summer, numerous scams related to holiday rentals or room rentals were detected, a type of deception "increasingly common and easy to commit thanks to the internet." However, the spokesperson highlights that phone and bank frauds have gained prominence, particularly affecting the elderly population.

"We are witnessing an increase in 'fake bank' scams," Plazas warned. Criminals call victims pretending to be their bank and use personal data to build trust. "They alert us of a supposed irregular payment or transfer and, through deception, manage to obtain our passwords or access codes. With this, they gain free access to our accounts," he detailed.

The National Police spokesperson in Alicante acknowledged that new technologies are enabling more sophisticated frauds and warned of the first cases where fraudsters are already using artificial intelligence to impersonate voices or identities. "We are seeing how AI is used to reinforce the deception. They can even make the real bank's number appear on the phone, even though the call is not genuine," he explained.

In response to such scams, the recommendation is clear: hang up immediately and verify by calling the official number of the entity directly. "If it is the real bank, they will assist us and we can confirm if there was any issue," Plazas reminds.

Although in-person scams are committed less frequently, they still affect particularly the elderly. "The fake gas inspector, water technician, or the technician who asks to enter the house still occur, although less than before," the spokesperson notes.

The National Police emphasize that all citizens can be victims. "Criminals constantly update themselves and use their imagination to find new ways of deception. No one is immune," Plazas warned.

The force has reminded that these types of crimes do not only target a specific victim profile but affect young, adult, and elderly individuals. "The most vulnerable population remains the elderly, but anyone can fall victim. The key lies in prevention, reasonable distrust, and direct verification of information," he concluded.