The Guardia Civil has investigated a 71-year-old man from Guardamar del Segura as the alleged author of a cyber scam that diverted 5,000 euros in wages and redundancy pay from a company in Puçol, Valencia.

The investigation began after the firm filed an online complaint about a fraudulent transfer. Specialists from the Guardia Civil’s cyber unit found the case involved what is known as Business Email Compromise, a scam in which corporate email accounts are impersonated.

Officers say the suspect registered an email address almost identical to that of the employee, altering just one letter. He then contacted the company’s Human Resources department to request a change of bank details, asking for the outstanding salary and severance payment to be sent to a new account. The request appeared credible because the worker’s employment had recently ended, and the company transferred the money.

The fraud came to light days later when the employee reported not receiving payment. Investigators traced the funds and identified the alleged beneficiary. The man faces suspected charges of computer fraud and money laundering, and the case has been referred to the courts in Torrevieja. The Guardia Civil has urged firms to verify any bank detail changes through a second channel before authorising payments.