Foreign residents scammed into paying twice for fake residency renewal appointments

A €67.50 fee was only the beginning for some people trying to renew their residency papers. Police say an alleged fake agency used invented banking problems to secure repeat payments, then sent false refund receipts when victims demanded their money back.

How a social-media advert led to a deceitful €67.50 payment

People seeking appointments to renew their residence authorisations reportedly found a telephone number promoted across several social media pages. It appeared to belong to a gestoría, an administrative agency supposedly specialising in securing immigration appointments. After contact moved to WhatsApp, the alleged operator sent documents that appeared to confirm the bookings, along with details of a bank account. Each supposed appointment cost €67.50, according to information released by Spain’s National Police.

The catch, however, is that the appointments never existed in the first place. Police said the victims discovered that the confirmations were invalid after approaching officers.

A man has now been arrested in Barcelona over alleged fraud and document forgery. Investigators said he was already the subject of several outstanding court orders from across Spain relating to fraud and other matters. Police have not yet disclosed how many victims have been identified or how much money was allegedly obtained.

How inventing bank problems persuaded some victims to pay again

The demand for a second transfer also gives the case another cruel aspect to it. Police allege that the man sometimes claimed the original €67.50 payment had not arrived because of a banking problem, prompting some victims to pay again for the same supposed appointment. When they realised the booking was invalid and demanded their money back, they allegedly received another false document. This time, it appeared to show that a refund had been ordered. Police believe the forged transfer receipts were intended to make victims think their reimbursement was being processed, delaying or preventing their complaints.

Previous scam networks have also benefited from Spain’s residency appointment chaos this year, using automated bots to capture genuine appointments and resell them.

It’s important to know that Spain’s official immigration booking carries no fee

Appointments for immigration procedures, known as citas previas, should be requested through the official Spanish government portal. The available procedures and booking arrangements can vary according to the province and type of application. The important detail to note though is that the government appointment itself is free. A legitimate lawyer or gestor may charge separately for advice, preparing documents or representing a client, but that is very different from selling a government booking or providing a confirmation that has absolutely no validity.

A social-media advert or WhatsApp conversation, however, can be real. Many professionals use Whatsapp to contact clients and have social profiles advertising their service. But people should always double check the validity. In this case, the red flags came as a pack: payment before a verifiable appointment, a strange request to transfer the same amount again and a refund receipt that didn’t correspond to money arriving in the victim’s account.

What to do if you find yourself paying for a false appointment

Spain’s National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE) advises fraud victims to contact their bank immediately through an official channel and ask whether a transfer can be stopped or recalled. WhatsApp conversations, social-media adverts, telephone numbers, appointment documents, bank details and payment receipts should always be kept as proof. INCIBE’s guidance recommends keeping all available evidence before reporting suspected fraud to the police. INCIBE also operates the free and confidential 017 cybersecurity helpline from 8am to 11pm every day of the year if anyone needs to get in touch due to a possible scam. 

Anyone who recognises the fake €67.50 charge, the repeat-payment excuse or a supposed refund receipt should retain the full conversation and banking records rather than deleting the messages or blocking the number.