€240,000 in stamps ‘stolen’ from university

A civil servant at the University of Almería has been charged with fraud after auditors found he had spent €240,000 supposedly buying stamps over the last twelve years. The public prosecutor alleges the man was handing in false invoices every fifteen days to justify taking money from petty cash. The invoices were not issued by the state postal service, Correos, but were never questioned by the University accountants. Alarm bells were rung after auditors spotted Continue reading €240,000 in stamps ‘stolen’ from university

Goldman convicted of fraud and Spanish press wring hands over conviction

Costa wealth pundit “Sir” Nigel Goldman has been found guilty of two counts of fraud in a UK court and is to be sentenced in January, causing soul searching from Spanish columnists who are comparing the rapid UK conviction with the stalled Spanish investigation which has yet to get going. “Sir” Nigel, as he styled himself with no apparent reason to, was previously well known for his columns in the “Euro Weekly News” and his Continue reading Goldman convicted of fraud and Spanish press wring hands over conviction

Twit causes alarm and gets arrested after pretending to be carjacked

Almeria airport

A twenty four year old Spaniard has been arrested after he claimed to have been carjacked on the road outside Almeria airport. The man told police that whilst driving there another car blocked his way, forcing him to pull over, and two men jumped out to rob him. He claimed to have lost 200 euros in cash as well as his mobile phone. However, police detectives quickly realised that nothing in his story made sense. Continue reading Twit causes alarm and gets arrested after pretending to be carjacked

Opposition parties denounce electoral fraud in Mojácar

Opposition parties Somos Mojácar and the PSOE have joined forced in Mojácar to submit a joint complaint to the local electoral council (JEZ) and a local Judge denouncing irregularities on the padrón ahead of municipal elections. According to the complaint, the opposition parties have proof that the Mayor has been ordering by decree the inclusion on the local electoral roll of suspicious or potentially non-existent voters. The complaint alleges amongst other things that the Mayor Continue reading Opposition parties denounce electoral fraud in Mojácar

Bankia bank floatation was a complete fraud admits Bank of Spain

The Bank of Spain has completed a report into the stock market launch of nationalised bank Bankia, and concluded that it was a complete fraud organised by Rodrigo Rato, the President of the bank at the launch, and carried on by his successor Goirigolzarri. Bankia is a nationalised bank that was formed from the corpses of several failed banks that went under during the recession. Spain forcibly merged them into one super bank and then Continue reading Bankia bank floatation was a complete fraud admits Bank of Spain

Social Security boss took Mums pension for 19 years after she died

A senior official in the Seville Social Security office is on trial for continuing to accept his Mothers pension for 19 years after she passed away. Mum died in 1992, but R.A.S.M., ex-head of Social Security Administration number 1 in Seville continued to forge her pension on the yearly form. She was receiving two pensions, an OAP state pension and a widows pension from the military. The son apparently got 137.582€ over the last two Continue reading Social Security boss took Mums pension for 19 years after she died

Massive police operation against fake companies

A massive National Police crackdown on fake companies carried out yesterday saw 740 people arrested and a further 1241 people charged with creating and operating fake companies. Across Almeria, 13 fake companies have been closed down and 90 people arrested. These companies are used to launder money, get immigrants their paperwork, steal public subsidies and other nefarious purposes. So someone might setup a fake company, use it launder money, and at the same time give Continue reading Massive police operation against fake companies

Dozens of financial crooks arrested across Spain

Looks like the fat fraudster Nigel Goldman got out just in time, unless his extradition had finally come through! More than 50 people were arrested across Spain on Tuesday in a crackdown on boiler-room operations peddling phony investment opportunities. Overseen by a National Court judge, the operation was carried out with cooperation from British and U.S. authorities, sources involved in the ongoing investigation told Efe. The arrests took place in Barcelona, Madrid and Malaga. The Continue reading Dozens of financial crooks arrested across Spain

More on Nigel Goldman in the expat press

Here’s the stories about Nigel Goldman (aka the Fat Fraudster) from the local expat press this week: The Olive Press has a very interesting look at his failed life: All that glitters is not Nigel Goldman as seasoned British fraudster vanishes over millions of missing money in Spain looking at his past convictions that lead him to Spain, and the times he’s spent in jail. The Costa Almeria News has Take the money and run Continue reading More on Nigel Goldman in the expat press

State legal counsel for Almeria arrested for “mega scam”

The man who was until January the chief legal counsel for the State in Almería, Demetrio Carmona, has been arrested by the Guardia Civil, along with six other “officials”, for alledged participation in a “mega scam”, according to local news. It seems that the respected lawyer, who had been a state lawyer for 25 years until being placed on indefinate leave in January, was arrested yesterday on the orders of a Judge. The investigation is under Continue reading State legal counsel for Almeria arrested for “mega scam”