A 19-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested in Alicante after posing on the phone as a bank employee to con a woman out of €30,000.

The Policia Nacional said it was the latest such incident where criminals use the so-called ‘fake bank manager’ method to fleece unsuspecting targets out of money.

Scammers pose as bank workers during phone calls to obtain client passwords and then use the codes to steal from accounts.

The latest con involved the victim getting a scam text message from her bank notifying her about a high withdrawal of €15,000.

She knew nothing about the transfer and used a phone contact number supplied within the message to make further inquiries.

The query was answered by the teenager who claimed to be a bank worker and who confirmed the €15,000 unauthorised withdrawal.

He said everything would be sorted out if the client gave him her passwords so that he could access the account and make an appropriate change.

She duly obliged, having been convinced that he was genuine and the man helped himself to €30,000.

The victim reported the fraud to the Policia Nacional with cybercrime experts tracking down the 19-year-old to an Alicante address.

The police has warned that fraudsters contact potential targets usually by phone, text, or email.

They make up stories that account security has been compromised or that there has been a suspicious transfer.

Emphasising ‘urgent’ action needing to be taken, victims then pass over personal details, ahead of having money syphoned from their account.
Click here to read more Costa Blanca News from The Olive Press.

ALICANTE-ELCHE airport reported over two million passengers in May- the first time that figure has been achieved in the fifth month of the year.

The increase was 11.9% up on May 2025 and was one of the largest increases in the airport network operated by Aena and well above the national average rise of 5%.

July was the first month last year when over two million passengers were recorded at the airport.

ALICANTE-ELCHE AIRPORT

In May, international travellers rose by 12.5% to 1.8 million registered passengers.

Domestic journeys went up by over 240,000 people- 7.6% more than the same month last year.

UK travellers accounted for over a third of the total with 692,000 passengers.

That was followed by the Netherlands on 125,000; Germany, with 125,000; and Poland, on 115,000.

Aena reported 13,131 flights at the Costa Blanca airport, which was a 12.3% increase over 12 months..In the first five months of 2026, Alicante-Elche airport has clocked eight million- a 9% rise on the same period last year.

Flights between January and May reached 50,825- up by 8.9%.

If current figures continue for the rest of the year, the facility will surpass 20 million passengers and set a new annual record.

Nationally, the airport ranks fifth in passenger numbers, behind Madrid, Barcelona, Palma and Malaga, but ahead of Valencia, Gran Canaria and Ibiza.
Click here to read more Costa Blanca News from The Olive Press.