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Police Dismantle Valencia-Based Extortion Ring Targeting 500+ Through Fake Sex Ads

Investigators describe a scheme that leveraged clients’ fear of exposure to force payments.

Overview

  • National Police say coordinated raids in Valencia and Fuerteventura broke up the network, with 38 people detained in Valencia and two in Fuerteventura, several sent to pretrial jail, and three trafficking victims freed.
  • The group posted fake ads for sexual services, then called clients posing as a club boss to demand payments for alleged debts, with early complaints describing demands of about €5,000.
  • Detectives outline a hierarchy that used recruiters and money mules who supplied IDs to open bank accounts and phone lines, while forged documents masked those handling the cash.
  • Police count more than 500 victims across Spain and cite one case where a man paid about €38,000, noting that shame and fear kept many from reporting the crime.
  • The case sits under a Castellón court as inquiries continue to trace funds and identify more victims, and a related arrest in Torrent involves a 29-year-old accused of extortion and identity fraud.