Santa Cruz de Tenerife 27 Mar. (Europa Press) –
Officers from the National Police have apprehended a 26-year-old individual on suspicion of receiving stolen goods after discovering 20 high-end mobile phones, all of the iPhone brand, along with two stolen vehicle keys from various locations on the island.
The arrest took place in early March when patrol officers identified a vehicle exhibiting suspicious behaviour. The driver, who had a history of police offences, attempted to conceal objects in the glove compartment upon noticing the presence of law enforcement.
At that moment, two women reported to the officers that the previous day, during the Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnivals, their iPhone 13 Pro Max Blue and iPhone 15 Pro Max phones had been stolen, and thanks to the device location feature, the officers confirmed that the phones were indeed inside the vehicle.
Upon examining the vehicle, the officers discovered 20 iPhones hidden in various locations within the car, with some wrapped in aluminium foil to elude detection, along with two car keys, one belonging to a Volkswagen (Siemens) and the other to a Mercedes.
During the investigation, the authorities managed to locate the owners of eight of the stolen phones. The victims reported that the thefts occurred on March 2, both in the vicinity of the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the Verónicas leisure area in Playa de Las Américas (Arona).
Staff with Phishing Method
Police have discovered that the alleged perpetrator utilised a phishing technique to attempt unlocking the stolen phones. Using the WhatsApp application, they sent messages to the emergency contacts associated with the devices, claiming to have found the mobile and soliciting personal information.
Following this, they forwarded a fraudulent link that mimicked the Apple interface, requesting the email and password, thereby enabling access to the victim’s account and facilitating fraudulent financial transactions.
The detainee, who had a record of similar offences including scams and handling stolen goods, was remanded to the judicial authority after his arrest, while investigations are ongoing to identify more victims and determine the origins of the remaining seized items.
The National Police emphasises the importance of reporting stolen mobile devices and advises against entering personal information on suspicious links to avert this type of digital fraud.
