Scams and fraud aimed at older residents and retirees

Terms used

• Lista Robinson — The Lista Robinson is a free register that lets you opt out of advertising calls.
• Poder notarial — A poder notarial is a power of attorney drawn up by a notary, letting a trusted person handle your affairs.
• Autotutela — Autotutela is a notary-recorded statement of who you want to look after you if you later lose capacity.
• Medida de apoyo — A medida de apoyo is a court-approved support measure for a person with reduced capacity, such as a guardador or curador.
• Denuncia — A denuncia is a formal crime report made to the police.
• Bizum — Bizum is a mobile payment service linked to Spanish bank accounts.
• Teleasistencia — Teleasistencia is a social-services alarm service, usually a pendant, that connects an older person to help.

Key rules

• Upfront fees: Resale and exit firms may not take any payment upfront, so a request for money before the sale or cancellation has happened is illegal.
• Codes and PINs: Banks, police and the tax agency never ask for PINs, codes or transfers by phone or message.
• Remote access: Never give anyone remote access to your computer, even if they say they are from the bank.
• After a scam: Tell the bank straight away, then file a denuncia with the Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil.

The short version

Most scams on older residents start with a call, a message, a knock at the door or a stranger in the street. You can cut the risk a lot with a few bank settings, a family code word and a rule: never act on a request for money, codes or computer access that you did not start. The checklist below lists the settings. The warning block lists the scams to watch for.

Scams police report against older people

Police in Spain describe these as the common ones:

• Fake bank, utility or tech-support calls and messages. The caller says there is a problem with your account and asks for codes, a transfer or remote access to your computer.
• "Son or daughter in trouble." A message from a new number, often by WhatsApp ("hijo en apuros"), says a relative has lost their phone and needs money now.
• Street cons. These include the "tocomocho" and "estampita" tricks, the "abrazo" (a hug while your pockets are emptied) and the "mancha" (someone points out a stain on your clothes to distract you). Cash machines are another place to be robbed. Watch for people looking over your shoulder.
• False officials or tradespeople. Someone posing as a gas, water or electricity inspector, or as police, asks to come in.
• Fake investments, romance scams, prizes and inheritances. Crypto offers and online "partners" who soon ask for money are typical.
• Door-to-door sales and mis-selling. Insurance and energy contracts are sold this way.
• Fake parcel, tax agency or traffic fine messages. The link in them is malicious. Police also warn about fake Bizum requests and fake bank transfers.

Names and tricks change, so check current alerts from the Policía Nacional and Guardia Civil.

Timeshare resale and exit firms

Timeshare owners are a frequent target. A firm that offers to resell your timeshare, or get you out of it, may not take any payment upfront. A request for money before the sale or cancellation has happened is illegal. Do not pay. Keep every contract, receipt and message. If you already paid, you can demand a refund. Complain to your consumer office (Consumo) and report it to the police if it looks like fraud.

Protections you can set up

With the bank. Low daily limits, alerts on every transaction, a trusted contact, and blocks on online or foreign card payments make a big difference. Bank options differ, so ask the branch what it offers.

On the phone. Register on the Lista Robinson to stop advertising calls, use call blocking, and do not answer unknown numbers. INCIBE's free helpline, 017, gives cybersecurity advice.

In the family. Agree a code word. If a "relative" calls in trouble, ask for it, then hang up and call them on their usual number. Teach the rule that banks, police and the tax agency never ask for PINs, codes or transfers by phone or message.

Legal tools for the family

If you are helping a parent, think about these early, while they can still decide for themselves:

• A power of attorney (poder notarial) lets a trusted person handle money matters. A preventive one is made before it is needed.
• An autotutela provision records your parent's own wishes about who should look after them if they later lose capacity.
• If capacity is declining, a court-approved support measure (medida de apoyo), such as a guardador or curador, can be arranged through a notary or the court.

A notary can tell you which one fits. The documents block below lists what to prepare.

Local help for older people

The Policía Nacional and Guardia Civil run a national programme, the Plan Mayor Seguridad. It offers talks and safety advice, and contact with local crime-prevention officers. Ask at the local police station, the Guardia Civil post or a senior centre. Many town police forces also visit older people who live alone. Your town hall's social services may offer teleasistencia, a pendant alarm. Availability varies by town. The ALERTCOPS app sends police alerts. Call 112 in an emergency.

If a scam has already happened

1. Call the bank at once. It must act promptly on unauthorised transactions.
2. File a denuncia with the Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil.

The quick answers below cover doorstep contracts, fake inspectors and the bracelet or rosemary trick.

Documents you need

• Power of attorney (poder notarial): a notary draws it up, and it lets a trusted person handle money matters for your parent. A preventive one is signed while your parent still has full capacity.

• Autotutela provision: a notary records your parent's own wishes about who should look after them if they later lose capacity.

• Court-approved support measure (medida de apoyo, such as a guardador or curador): only needed if capacity is already declining, and set up through a notary or a court.

• Police report (denuncia) filed with the Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil: needed if your parent has been defrauded, and the bank will usually ask for it.

• Copies of every contract, receipt and message about a timeshare resale or exit payment: keep them all, because you need them to claim a refund from the firm or to complain to your local consumer office (Consumo).

Checklist

• Ask the bank to set low daily limits on card, cash-machine and online transfers.

• Ask the bank to disable or limit Bizum and online banking if your parent does not use them.

• Turn on SMS or app alerts for every transaction.

• Ask the bank to register a trusted contact or authorised person, and to block online or foreign card payments.

• Register on the Lista Robinson to opt out of advertising calls, and turn on the phone's call-blocking or your operator's filter.

• Agree a family code word to check any call or message from a relative in trouble.

• Refuse every request for remote access to the computer, even from someone who says they are from the bank or tech support.

• Talk to a notary about a power of attorney or an autotutela provision while your parent can still decide for themselves.

• Ask your town hall's social services about teleasistencia, a pendant alarm service, and about home-visit checks by the local police.

• Save 112 in the phone, install the ALERTCOPS alert app, and call 017, the free cybersecurity helpline run by INCIBE, Spain's cybersecurity institute, when in doubt.

• Report any fraud to the bank at once, then file a denuncia with the Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil.

What to watch out for

• Fake bank, utility or tech-support calls and messages: Callers or SMS and WhatsApp senders pose as the bank, a fraud department, a utility or tech support to get codes, transfers or remote access to the computer. Hang up and do not reply. Call the bank on the number printed on your card. Never share PINs or codes, and never give remote access.

• "Son or daughter in trouble" message: A message from a new number claims to be your child (hijo en apuros) and asks for urgent money. Ask for the family code word and call your child on their usual number before sending anything.

• Street cons and distraction thefts: The tocomocho and estampita cons promise easy money. The abrazo (a hug) and mancha (a stain on your clothes) are used to distract you while you are robbed. Shoulder-surfing and theft at cash machines are also common. Walk away from strangers offering money deals, step back from anyone who touches you, and cover the keypad at cash machines.

• False officials or tradespeople at the door: People posing as gas, water or electricity inspectors, or as police, try to get into the home. Do not let anyone in unannounced. Ask the company or the local police to confirm the visit first.

• Fake investments, romance, prizes and inheritances: Cryptocurrency and investment offers, online romances and unexpected prizes or inheritances all end with a request for money. Do not pay anything to receive a prize or inheritance. Talk to family before sending money to someone you have not met in person.

• Door-to-door sales and contract mis-selling: Unsolicited visitors push insurance or energy contracts that your parent does not need. Do not sign on the spot. Ask for the paperwork and show it to family first.

• Fake parcel, tax agency or traffic fine messages: Messages claiming to be a delivery firm, the tax agency (Agencia Tributaria) or a traffic fine (DGT) carry malicious links. Fake Bizum and bank-transfer requests follow the same pattern. Do not click the link. Go to the organisation's own website or phone line, and ask the bank to limit Bizum if it is not used.

• Timeshare resale and exit firms asking for money first: These firms may not take any payment before the sale or cancellation has happened, so a demand for money upfront is illegal. The payment can be void and the firm can face fines or fraud charges. Do not pay. If you already did, keep every document, complain to Consumo and report it to the police. You can demand a refund.

Quick answers on doorstep, street and older-resident scams

Can I cancel a contract I signed at my door?

Yes, you can cancel within 14 days without giving a reason or paying a penalty, by written notice that leaves proof. Send it by burofax, registered letter or email with confirmation before the period ends. If the trader never told you about this right, the period extends by 12 months, and the trader must refund you within 14 days of your notice.

How can I tell if a meter inspector at my door is genuine?

Do not let anyone in unless the visit was announced or you asked for it, and check their ID by calling the number on your own bill. Do not use a number the visitor gives you. Real inspectors do not sell contracts, take cash or cards at the door, or ask you to sign. If you feel unsure, refuse entry and call 112 or the police.

What should I do if someone ties a bracelet on me or offers a flower or rosemary?

Refuse firmly, keep walking and do not let anyone touch your hands or wrists. Do not accept the item or pay, because an accomplice may pick your pockets while you are distracted. Keep bags closed and in front of you. If you are being pressured, go into a busy shop and call 112 or 091, and file a denuncia (police report) if anything was stolen.

How can I protect an elderly parent in Spain from fraud?

Start with their bank: ask for low daily limits on cards, cash machines and transfers, alerts on every transaction, and a trusted contact. Agree a family code word to check any call from a relative in trouble, and tell them banks and police never ask for PINs or codes by phone. Never give anyone remote access to the computer. A power of attorney from a notary is a legal option while they have capacity.

Who do I report fraud to if my parent has already been scammed?

Tell the bank at once, then file a denuncia with the Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil. The bank must act promptly on unauthorised transactions. You can also call 017, a free cybersecurity advice line, for help with online scams.