Mallorca bank text scam: Palma man loses €3,000

In Palma, Mallorca, a man loses €3,000 to a bank text scam: a caller posing as a bank employee tells him an instant transfer will stop unauthorised payments. The money cannot be recovered. The Guardia Civil set out the case on Wednesday, 30 September 2026.

Two texts and a false warning

The scam, known as smishing, begins with two texts that appear to come from the man’s bank. They warn of unauthorised transfers and give him a number to call.

The person who answers confirms the supposed transfers and tells him to send money to cancel them, using a specific code in the payment reference. After he sends €3,000, another text says the transfer has been cancelled but warns of fresh suspicious activity. He calls his real bank directly and learns it was a fraud. Because he made an instant transfer, the payment cannot be reversed.

Investigators trace a suspect to Cádiz

The man reports the scam through the Guardia Civil’s online portal. Its CiberComandancia unit examines the messages and follows the money to a suspected perpetrator in Cádiz, who has been brought before the judicial authorities there.

The Guardia Civil advises people to be wary of bank warning texts and not to follow links in them. It also recommends stronger payment authentication and says anyone who suspects unauthorised use should block their cards or payment methods and report it immediately.

Topics: Police · Politics · Palma

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com