An advert appeared on LinkedIn, the Paris company responsible genuinely existed and a signed pre-contract promised a monthly salary. After various small repayments and a WhatsApp group of apparently successful colleagues, the unlikely request started to look like something credible.

How a LinkedIn advert led to a five-figure loss

Paula Sánchez, a 47-year-old administrative manager from Pontevedra, was at her computer in when a remote vacancy caught her attention. The extra income appeared compatible with her existing job and family life, she later told El País. The supposed recruiter, who called herself Sofía Koivu, contacted Sánchez through WhatsApp and claimed to represent ReSee, a genuine vintage luxury company based in Paris. Within hours, Sánchez had signed a pre-contract for a remote “marketing ranking associate” position. It promised a basic salary of €600 and commissions for completing tasks designed, she was told, to improve the visibility of products online.

The unusual part came when she was instructed to convert €100 into cryptocurrency before beginning work. The person guiding her mixed conversations about search rankings and commissions with personal anecdotes about her dog and partner, gradually creating the impression of a normal working relationship.

Why the small repayments made the next demand appear legit

The first transactions appeared to work. Sánchez received money back, giving her good reason to believe the platform and its promised earnings were genuine. Then came the supposedly limited-edition products carrying commissions of 30 per cent. But to receive those returns, she was required to advance the full value of each item first. Every payment was presented as another step towards releasing her money.

The scheme also used WhatsApp and Telegram groups in which apparent colleagues posted screenshots of earnings and congratulated one another. They didn’t know each other in person, but their messages made it seem as though other workers were completing the same tasks as her successfully. Sánchez said she initially transferred money because she believed in the job, and continued because she was trying to recover what she had already paid. But by the time the promised withdrawals failed to arrive, she had transferred €40,408. “I never thought I would fall for something like this. I checked everything,” she said. 

A genuine company made the fake job look extra convincing

The business whose identity had been used in the scam was real, but there is no suggestion it was involved in the alleged fraud. ReSee subsequently posted a notice on Trustpilot stating that its official operation was not connected with cryptocurrency, external recruitment services or training platforms. 

The case shows why confirming that a company exists is no longer enough to avoid being scammed. Fraudsters can copy names, logos, tax information and job descriptions. Therefore applicants should first confirm on a company’s official website whether the job offer is genuine. Or independently contact the company through the telephone number or email address on its official website and ask whether both the vacancy seen on another platform and the recruiter are authentic.

Spain’s National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE) has documented similar fake task-based job offers. They commonly begin with simple, well-paid work, followed by a small investment, an early repayment and progressively larger demands. INCIBE does not have evidence proving this specific type of job fraud is increasing, however, broader cybercrime has risen. The Interior Ministry’s final 2025 figures recorded 489,248 cyber offences, 5.3 per cent more than in 2024. Computer fraud accounted for 430,493 cases.

How to spot a fake employer with one simple rule

INCIBE offered one particularly useful distinction: in a legitimate job, money travels from the employer to the employee. A worker should not be required to pay to begin a shift, unlock tasks, release wages or obtain commissions. Anyone who has already transferred money should stop further payments and contact their bank immediately. INCIBE also recommends preserving conversations, screenshots and payment records, reporting the relevant accounts on the messaging platforms and filing a police complaint.

Sánchez reported her case at a police station, taking her phone, screenshots, contracts and payment details with her. She has also asked her bank to reverse the transfers, although she confirmed that she has little hope of recovering the money.

A company name, polished contract and busy workplace chat can now all be copied, but if the supposed employer asks the worker to finance their next task, you know something’s up. Spain’s 017 cybersecurity helpline is national, free and confidential. Assistance is also available through WhatsApp on 900 116 117.

Anyone looking for authentic local culture can head to Alcaucin this week as the Town Hall has formally confirmed the return of their popular annual August Fair.

Summer celebrations in Alcaucin

Local authorities presented the schedule for the annual gathering, which runs from Thursday, August 6 to Sunday, August 9. Organisers explain that the official religious tributes to the town’s patron saint, San Sebastian, technically fall in September, August is the traditional time chosen to gather residents, returning relatives, and summer visitors.

Opening night on Thursday is all about the little ones, giving families the chance to take advantage of reduced prices on fairground rides. Live musical performances begin later in the night with singer Erika Leiva, followed by late-night entertainment from the Infinity Show Orchestra.

Authentic flamenco and traditional entertainment

On Friday, August 7, more family entertainment will be held in the park, including children’s face painting, traditional piñatas, and ribbon races. Cultural events continue later that evening with a local dance performance, preceding the 38th edition of the town’s Flamenco Song Festival in Plaza de la Constitucion. The line up for the festival includes a selection or performances by Kiki Morente, Anabel Valencia, Rubito Hijo, and Pepe Calayo, together with local dancer Matias Campos.

Free paella, water slides and star headliners

Weekend activities focus on community gatherings and daytime events. Local authorities will host a delicious free paella lunch on Saturday August 8, together with a whopping 50-metre water slide installed on Calle Arcos for the thrill seekers. Religious processions honouring San Sebastian will take place on both Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Main stage musical acts feature pop singer David Civera performing on Saturday night, with Dasoul scheduled for Sunday evening. Town officials confirmed that entry to all concerts and public events are completely free of charge throughout the four-day event.

Four days of food, fun at the fair and festivities at the Alcaucin Feria. For more information visit the Alcaucin Town Hall Website.

Officers watched an upmarket home for days in Sitges while the wanted 21-year-old inside never ventured beyond its surrounding garden. Then, amid concerns that guns or explosives could be inside, Spanish police entered. 

The garden was as far as the fugitive would go 

The search began in June 2025 through the European Network of Fugitive Active Search Teams (ENFAST), which allows specialist police units to exchange information and pursue wanted people across borders. After months of cooperation between Sweden and Spain, investigators traced the fugitive to Sitges, the affluent seaside town approximately 35 kilometres south-west of Barcelona. According to Spain’s Ministry of the Interior, he was living in a house in what police described as an upmarket neighbourhood. Officers placed the property under surveillance for several days and were able to view the suspect in the garden, but police said he did not venture beyond the grounds, apparently aware that Swedish authorities were pursuing him.

Investigators believed there was a possibility of finding firearms or explosives inside. Therefore entry and a search of the property were consequently authorised under a European Investigation Order, and officers arrested the man during the early hours of Saturday August 1. Authorities have not said whether any weapons or explosives were ultimately recovered from the house.

🚩 Detenido en #Sitges uno de los fugitivos más buscados de #Suecia

🔹 Presuntamente participó en 20 hechos criminales de extrema violencia para desestabilizar a grupos criminales rivales

🔹 Adiestraba a jóvenes reclutados para ejecutar ataques, entrenándolos en el uso de armas… pic.twitter.com/6mwVcQUrzj

— Policía Nacional (@policia) August 3, 2026

Why the Swedish media name Emin Muqa Kulic

Neither the Spanish nor Swedish authorities named the arrested man in their initial official statements. However, Swedish broadcasters SVT and TV4 have identified him as Emin Muqa Kulic, aged 21. Kulic had also appeared on the Europol-hosted EU Most Wanted website, where he was publicly listed as wanted by Sweden for attempted murder.

SVT describes Kulic as a senior figure in Stockholm’s Dalen network. The broadcaster says police have previously portrayed him as the alleged right-hand man of Mikael “Greken” Tenezos, another suspected senior network figure who was arrested in Mexico in October 2025.

The Swedish Prosecution Authority confirmed that the arrested 21-year-old had been detained in absentia since May 2025 on suspicion of offences including complicity in murder and attempted murder. The suspected crimes were committed during 2024, and several investigations remain under way. “We believe the man has been one of those directing young people to commit serious violent crimes in Sweden,” lead prosecutor Ida Arnell said in the official statement. 

Police allege young recruits were given weapons and explosives

Spanish investigators place the suspect’s alleged activities within a much broader campaign of violence. They claim he participated in approximately 20 extremely violent criminal incidents during 2024, including attacks in which members of rival criminal groups were killed. The alleged purpose was to destabilise competing groups and provoke further conflicts between them. According to the Spanish account, those involved used military-style weapons, long and short firearms and explosives. Investigators also accuse the suspect of training young people recruited to carry out organised attacks. Police allege that he instructed them in the use of firearms and explosives and supplied the equipment himself.

The figure of 20 incidents comes from Spanish police and is broader than the suspected offences specified publicly by Swedish prosecutors. There are not yet 20 proven crimes or convictions against Kulic.

Sweden’s National Council for Crime Prevention has documented how recruitment into criminal networks can begin at an early age, and its wider research found that recruiters were commonly aged between 15 and 20, while those targeted were often between 12 and 15. In some cases, recruitment developed in less than a day.

The villa’s reported connection to Jonas Falk

One of the most unusual parts of the arrest concerns the house itself. SVT reports, citing its own sources, that the Sitges property had previously been occupied by Jonas Falk, one of Sweden’s most widely known convicted criminals. Kulic allegedly remained there for an extended period after Falk was arrested. Spanish police, however, have not confirmed that account in full. Their statement says only that the fugitive was “closely linked” to the person known as the “Pablo Escobar of Sweden”. It does not yet identify Falk or establish who legally owned or rented the property.

The claimed connection emerged just days after Stockholm District Court convicted Falk of four exceptionally serious narcotics offences. On July 28, he received a sentence of nine years and two months over the handling of approximately 2.3 tonnes of cocaine between South America and Europe. His lawyer has said the conviction will be appealed.

Spain must now decide on Sweden’s request

Spain has repeatedly surfaced in Sweden’s hunt for wanted suspects. Swedish Police figures show that 31 Swedish fugitives had been arrested in Spain by July 9 this year. 

Across all countries, 165 people had been arrested on Swedish alerts during the same period, compared with 139 a year earlier. Swedish prosecutors have now issued a European Arrest Warrant requesting Kulic’s surrender. This is a judicial procedure between European Union countries, rather than a conventional diplomatic extradition process. A surrender decision should normally be reached within ten days if the arrested person consents or within 60 days if the request is contested. No hearing date, decision or confirmed timetable for Kulic’s transfer to Sweden has yet been announced.