A woman in Alicante has been the victim of an online investment scam in which she lost almost €206,000. Spanish National Police have arrested two men, aged 22 and 36, as suspected perpetrators of the fraud.

Police say the investigation began after the woman reported being misled by adverts on social media. These adverts appeared to show well-known figures from the business and banking world recommending investments with high guaranteed returns. Believing them to be genuine, she shared her phone number and was later contacted by a person who claimed the investments were safe.

Following the instructions she was given, the victim made ten separate bank transfers to different accounts. She later realised she could not recover her money and that she had been scammed.

Officers traced the funds to several bank accounts and discovered that one suspect had received €78,000. He was detained while handing €39,000 in cash to a second man, allegedly involved in recruiting him as a money mule. Both men have appeared before a court in Alicante, and police are warning the public to be cautious of investment offers and the use of artificial intelligence to create convincing fake endorsements.